Murder or suicide?: Man arrested for setting wife on fire

FAISALABAD:

A man was arrested on Sunday for setting his wife on fire. The woman had later died at a hospital. According to her relatives, Saira*, a resident of Chak 147-GB, used to have frequent quarrels with her husband, Sharafat*. “On Sunday, Sharafat poured petrol on Saira and set her on fire. When neighbours heard her scream, they took her to Jaranwala tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital,” Abdul Majeed, one of her relatives, told The Express Tribune. He said Saira later died at the hospital. Her relatives then staged a demonstration on Jaranwala Road and blocked it for traffic. Talking to The Express Tribune, the Jaranwala SHO said that a police party had taken Sharafat into custody. “During interrogation, Sharafat has denied killing his wife. He claims Saira set herself on fire after an argument between them,” the SHO said.

*Names have been changed to protect identities

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2014.