UP: Mother of six immolates self, beau, too, dies in bid to save her

BAREILLY: A 35-year-old woman, mother of six children, allegedly immolated self after her 22-year-old boyfriend, who too died in a bid to save her, refused to continue their relationship in a village under Nawabganj police station limits late on Friday night.
Both were rushed to hospital, where woman succumbed to her burn injuries early Saturday morning, while the youth died later in the day.
Police said the woman’s husband alleged that his wife was set afire by the youth and his father.
The youth, however, in his dying declaration— recorded in the presence of emergency medical officer Dr Shailesh Ranjan and ASP (Rural) Sansaar Singh — stated that he sustained injuries while attempting to save the woman, who immolated self after he refused to continue their relationship, said police.
The youth, a neighbour and also a distant relative of the woman, said he didn’t want to continue the relationship with her as she was quite older to him and had six children, said police.
According to police, the woman fell in love with the youth after her husband, a labourer, shifted to Delhi for work two years ago.
“After his marriage got fixed, the youth decided to part ways with the woman. However, the woman filed a rape case against him in a bid to avert his marriage, but she later changed her statement in the youth’s favour in the court on Friday. The same night, she immolated self after the youth refused to come to her house,” said police.
Youth’s father told TOI, “My neighbour immolated self after an argument with her husband and my son sustained burn injuries in a bid to save her. They were rescued by locals, who shifted them to the Nawabganj community health centre. The duo was referred to the district hospital in view of their critical condition, but they couldn’t survive.”
SSP Shailesh Kumar Pandey told TOI, “During investigation, it was found that the woman had filed a rape case against the youth, but she had withdrawn all the charges after recording her statement in the court on Friday morning.”
No case has been registered in this connection.