Pregnant Woman Set On Fire In Delhi, Family Claims Torture By In-Laws

A 7-month pregnant woman was shockingly set on fire by her husband and in-laws on Dec. 6 in Bawana, northwest Delhi, India Today reported.

The entire incident, according to the woman, identified as Khusboo and who lives in Bawana, was an accident.

The woman's family, however, disputes the claims and asserts that her in-laws were the ones who harassed the woman. Sandeep, Khusboo's brother, said that she was set afire by her in-laws.

She was allegedly seated in front of a bonfire with her husband and another individual when the latter allegedly sprayed paint thinner on the flames just before it started to go out. Her face, hands, and other body parts were burned. Veer Pratap, her husband, also sustained injuries, said reports from the police.

The woman's in-laws were accused of being allegedly complicit in the crime by Swati Maliwal, Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW). She tweeted about the incident.

"The victim is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital," Maliwal said.

The chairperson further added that the DCW has issued notice to Delhi Police while they are providing all help to the victim. She mentioned the woman suffering severe burn injuries in her tweet about the incident on social media.

Maliwal wrote, "7-month pregnant woman set on fire by husband and in-laws by pouring petrol in Bawana. The woman suffered serious burn injuries and is undergoing treatment at a hospital. We've issued notice to Delhi police and providing all help to the victim."

The DCW had written to the police to take appropriate action against the accused. This incident is a reminder of the horrific crimes witnessed by women on a regular basis in the national capital.

As per an estimate published by WHO, globally about 1 in 3 (30%) of women globally have witnessed either physical or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.

Violence can have a negative impact on a woman’s physical, emotional, sexual, and reproductive health and, in some circumstances, may raise her chance of contracting HIV.

Globally as many as 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners.