A man set a 17-year-old girl on fire after pouring petrol on her in Andheri (West) on Tuesday.
The teenager suffered 60% burns and he also sustained injuries. Both are receiving treatment at Cooper Hospital, Juhu.
The MIDC police has registered a case against Jitendra alias Jitu Tambe, 30. However, since he is undergoing treatment, the police are yet to arrest him.
According to the FIR, the girl lives with her parents and siblings in Marol. Tambe also resides in the area. The two had been friends for the past one-and-a-half years. A neighbour informed the girl’s mother that she often spent time with Tambe. When her mother confronted her, she denied having any relationship with him. The mother also visited Tambe’s house and asked him not to spend time with her daughter.
On Monday, around 10.30pm, after dinner, the girl went outside to sit near the stairs for a while, informing her sister. Around 11.30pm, a neighbour arrived at her house and informed the family that someone had set their daughter on fire. The family rushed to the scene and found her severely burnt. Someone had doused the flames, but she was terrified. She told her mother that she had done nothing wrong and that Tambe had poured petrol on her and set her on fire.
Meanwhile, a neighbour informed the police. An ambulance and police officers arrived at the scene, and the victim was taken to Cooper Hospital, Juhu. Doctors informed her parents that she had suffered 60% burns. Her face, neck, stomach, both hands and legs, parts of her back, and her private areas were affected. Due to the severity of the burns, she was unable to speak properly.
A police officer said, “The accused works in a small job related to cable services. He also sustained injuries in the incident, and both are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.”
The mother filed a complaint against Tambe. The police have registered a case under Section 124(1) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by using acid or other means) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
