Shrouded in mystery: Man found burnt to death at in-laws’ house

His wife and in-laws have been arrested but police are also looking into potential suicide

KARACHI: A 35-year-old man, S*, was allegedly set on fire by his wife and in-laws in Bilal Colony, New Karachi, on Tuesday evening.

S, a father of four daughters, was burnt alive under mysterious circumstances. Though the police have arrested his wife and her family members for allegedly setting the victim on fire, the investigators have yet to probe whether the victim committed suicide or was killed by his in-laws.

S went to his in-laws in Bilal Colony on Tuesday to bring his wife, D*, back home as she had left after a family dispute. Later, he was admitted at the Burns Ward of Civil Hospital, Karachi, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment late Wednesday night.

“My son was very excited before leaving home as he was going to bring back his wife and daughters,” narrated the deceased’s elderly mother, Safia Begum. “But about a couple of hours later, they [S’s in-laws] phoned us and said he committed suicide.”



The victim was a resident of Federal B Area and worked at a private hospital. His family alleged that D, accompanied by her father, brother and brother-in-law, set S on fire. The police registered an FIR No 105/16 on the complaint of the mother of the deceased and arrested the victim’s wife and her relatives.

Meanwhile, the victim’s wife denied allegations of murder, claiming that her husband committed suicide as he was mentally ill, adding that she and her family members are being framed in a fake case. The couple had been married for about 15 years. D had left the home about nine months ago because of a family dispute. “I left home because he usually fights with me, particularly over daughters’ issue,” said D. “But I was happy when I heard that S is coming to take us back home after months. Instead of taking us back home, he doused himself in petrol that he had brought and set himself on fire.”

Though the police have registered a case and arrested the suspects, investigators said that the matter has yet to be probed. “We have registered an FIR under the charges of attempt to murder on behalf of the family of the deceased but it will be changed into a murder FIR if it is proven that the in-laws murdered the deceased,” said Bilal Colony SHO Murtaza Majeed. “So far, we did not find any single evidence that could suggest that the deceased was murdered.” The officer said that the police have also recorded the statements of the neighbours of the accused, all of which suggests that he committed suicide. He added that nothing could be said with certainty until the investigations are completed.

*Name withheld to protect identity.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2016.