Burnt alive over Mehr
Mohammad Asghar
RAWALPINDI: A woman was burnt alive in Ganjmandi area on Monday, allegedly by her in-laws in a dispute over Mehr.
The woman’s parents-in-law and husband’s younger brother were booked by the police on the complaint of the brother of the deceased woman. However, no arrest has been made.
Ms Irum, 19, a daughter of a schoolteacher and Hafiz-i-Quran, married Mohammad Sadique some six months ago in Dhoke Hassu, was found dead by her brother Mohammad Bilal when he came to her house at about 1:30pm.
Irum called her elder sister on Monday morning and informed her that her in-laws sought surrender of Mehr which included a house and gold ornaments. While she was talking to her sister her phone was disconnected.
Sensing that her sister was in trouble, she rushed her brother to Irum’s house who found her burnt to death.
Mohammad Bilal said since her marriage, she had been complaining about her in-laws’ attitude as they had been forcing her to give them in writing that she was giving up the Mehr.
“A few months ago, the issue was settled after a meeting between the elders of the two families but her in-laws did not stop harassing her and finally they burnt her to death today,” Bilal said.
He said though the police had registered a case, the progress on arresting the killers was slow.
Sheikh Ahmed, Irum’s father-in-law, said he was taking bath when he heard screams and thought that the children playing in the street were making noise.
Meanwhile, a mother of four was burnt critically after being trapped in the fire while setting firewood alight for preparing breakfast.
Yasmin Akhtar, 26, wife of Akhtar Khan, in her statement, said: “Hardly had I doused oil on firewood and showed a match stick, a ball of fire blew up and I was trapped in it.”
The incident happened when Yasmin’s husband, Akhtar Khan, had gone to a nearby market to buy milk for breakfast.
When he was returned home he saw smoke emitting out of the first floor of the house where he along with his four children and wife lived.
On seeing the smoke, he rushed to his home and saw his wife trapped in the fire.
Though the fire was brought under control by the neighbourers, she had been burnt critically and was shifted to the Holy Family Hospital in the morning.
According to lady doctor, the woman has 50 per cent burns.
Source: DAWN
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