Man sets self on fire over wife’s ‘fifth marriage’

In a harrowing incident, a 35-year-old man immolated himself in front of his in-law’s place following a dispute with his wife – whom he accused of marrying for a fifth time.  

The incident took place in Indore city in west-central India, when the man – identified as Sunil Lohani – on Jan 4 poured petrol on himself and started the fire. However, the man succumbed to his burns after battling for around 10 days in a city hospital late on Friday.

The entire incident was captured on a CCTV installed near his in-laws’ place. The man who died was the fourth husband of the woman, an official said, adding that police are investigating whether her purported marriage for a fifth time was the trigger behind the suicide.

According to the police, the deceased – a resident of Dwarkapuri area – left a suicide note in which he mentioned that he took such an extreme step as he was distressed and mentally tortured by his wife Reena, one Ashok Sachdeva, Reena’s sisters Sonam Kamra and Baji Kamra, her brothers Shankar Kamra and Nanhe Kamra.

He stated in the suicide note that his wife had an affair with Ashok and they were pressuring him to give her divorce.

Sunil also uploaded his video on social media before taking the extreme step in which he said that he was going to immolate himself in front of his wife’s house in Katju Colony. He also said in the video that he has not divorced his wife yet she has again married Ashok.

He went to his wife’s house on January 4 and knocked on the door but she did not come out. Later, he poured petrol on himself and set himself afire.

Local residents extinguished the flames and rushed him to the hospital.

Sunil’s brother-in-law Pradeep said that Reena had married Sunil around 5 years ago and it was her third marriage. She had an affair with Ashok Sachdeva and married him on December 31.

The woman had also filed a case against Lohani for dowry harassment. He was possibly fed up with the court case and took the extreme step, the police said.