THANE: A 17-year-old boy allegedly set his 17-year-old friend ablaze at her home in Balkum on Friday, causing her 80% burn injuries.
According to the police, the accused, who worked as a delivery boy, and the victim, employed as a compounder at a local dispensary, had known each other for several years. Both had lived in Lal Dongar, Chembur, before moving to Balkum about a year ago.
The police said that on the day of the incident, the two had argued over an undisclosed issue, and in a fit of rage, the boy poured an inflammable liquid on her and set her on fire when she was alone at home. “The accused himself took the severely injured girl to Thane Civil Hospital, from where she was shifted to KEM Hospital,” said a police officer.
Senior Police Inspector Pravin Mane of Kapurbawdi police station said, “The accused has been detained under charges of attempt to murder and produced before the Juvenile Court in Thane. He has been sent to a remand home as per the court’s order.”
Further investigation into the motive behind the crime is underway, as the victim is in critical condition and not in a position to give her statement. The substance used to set her ablaze is also being examined by the forensic team, he added.
The police said that it is yet to be confirmed whether the two were in a relationship.