Kolkata: A 30-year-old Muslim woman was allegedly set on fire and succumbed to her injuries on Monday, April 6, after she refused to marry a man who lured her on the pretext of a job interview in Kolkata, West Bengal.
According to local media, the incident took place in Babughat in the Maidan area on Saturday, April 4. The victim, Shagufta Parveen, suffered 90 per cent burn injuries and made a declaration moments before passing away at the SSKM Hospital, revealing the accused’s name.
Siddhartha Chariwal allegedly called Parveen to a secluded spot by falsely claiming it was for an interview. A heated argument broke out between the two at the spot when the accused asked to marry the victim.
Chariwal reportedly poured kerosene on Parveen following her refusal and set her ablaze. Eyewitnesses called police and she was rushed to the hospital, where she was in critical condition for two days before passing away.
Speaking to the media, the victim’s mother said Parveen left home for a job interview but soon stopped answering her phone.
“My daughter told me, ‘ma, I’m heading out for an interview now.’ We called her later and even met for lunch. I told her that we are going to the market and asked her to join me but she refused because of that meeting,” the victim’s mother said.
After that, every call went unanswered. “Jab chaar baje call kiya toh police uthaya aur bola aapki ladki jalgayi (When I called at 4 pm, the police picked up and said my daughter was burned),” the victim’s mother said, breaking down in tears.
The family rushed to the hospital, where they saw Parveen with severe injuries. “Mera baccha pura jalawa tha, pura haal uthrawa tha (My child was completely burned, the entire skin was peeling off),” the mother said.
“Woh boli bohot jal raha hai, bohot dard hora (She said it hurt and was burning a lot),” Parveen’s mother recounted.
Victim’s last words reveal accused’s identity
However, Parveen suffered through the injuries to name the accused and even told the police how the incident unfolded.
She said that Chariwal reportedly asked to marry her and Parveen refused, citing their religious differences. She also turned down the job opportunity, triggering Chariwal. The accused then poured kerosene over her and set her ablaze.
Police arrested Chariwal under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Saturday, April 4, for attempted murder in the Beleghata area based on the victim’s statement. However, the charges would be elevated to murder following the victim’s death and the results from the postmortem report.
“The police have assured us that an investigation is underway, and they told us they have captured him. But we want justice. We want him to rot in jail for a lifetime,” Parveen’s mother said.
