Man Dies Trying To Set Lover Ablaze After Woman's Family Arranged Her Marriage To Another Person

A man who tried to set his lover ablaze in revenge after the victim's family arranged to have her marry another person was found charred to death by his own actions in Kozhikode, Kerala, India on Tuesday, March 29.

The firebug, identified as Ratnesh of Valayam in Nadapuram, was reportedly in love with the victim and wished to marry her. When he expressed his desire to marry her, however, the woman's relatives opposed the proposal and arranged to have her betrothed to another man. The woman’s marriage was reportedly slated to be held on the first week of April 2022, NDTV reported.

Ratnesh, an electrician by profession, reportedly felt enraged and humiliated by the decision taken by the woman's family members. To take revenge, Ratnesh climbed into the woman's bedroom, on the first floor of her house using a ladder, at around 2:30 a.m. and proceeded to try to set her bed on fire. However, he fumbled in his attempt and accidentally set himself ablaze instead, leading to his gruesome death.

The woman, her brother, and sister-in-law sustained minor injuries in the fire and are undergoing treatment at a hospital, India Today reported.

In a similar but unrelated incident, a man has been reported dead after he was allegedly set on fire by his former girlfriend and her family members for trying to sabotage her marriage proposal in Nashik, Maharashtra, India on Feb. 13, Latin Times reported.

The victim, identified as Gorakh Bachav, a 31-year-old man from Nashik, succumbed to fatal burn injuries and died on Feb. 13, after he was reportedly set ablaze by his former girlfriend Kalyani Sonawane, 23, and her family members on Feb. 11. They allegedly believed that he had earlier sabotaged her attempt to get married and was threatening to do so again.

On Feb. 11, Bachav, who is a plumber by profession, was hanging out in the local market when Sonawane and her family members also reached the spot. The woman’s father and two brothers then started attacking and bludgeoning Bachav with iron pipes and steel rods in the middle of the market.

After the victim was mercilessly beaten, Sonwane's mother poured suspected kerosene on Bachav's body. Following this, Sonawane lit a matchstick and set him ablaze. After setting him on fire in public, the family quickly fled the scene.

Once the family left the spot, locals rushed to the victim's aid and tried to douse and extinguish the fire. Bystanders immediately rushed Bachav to the Nagpur Civil Hospital for treatment. However, Bachav succumbed to the burn injuries on Feb. 13.

Following the incident, the locals informed the Deola Police Station about the violent confrontation. The Sonawane family members were later arrested and a First Information Record (FIR) has been filed against them.