BY MOHD MAJID MALIK ,Kishtwar Aug 19: A house wife namely Sheekha Sharma who was allegedly set on fire by her husband Kishori Lal Sharma S/O Late Sh. Radha Krishan Sharma R/O Panditgam Kishtwar intervening night of 11th and 12th of August, succumbed to his injuries in Government Medical College Jammu late last night after She sustained 60% burns injuries at his residence at Panditgham Kishtwar. Police has already registered an FIR No: 128/09 under section 498-A R.P.C against the accused at police station Kishtwar and after the death of the victim, the said FIR will be augmented with addition of murder charges under section 302 in addition to section 498 A . The family members of victim who includes widow mother and five sisters expressed their grief and tears with the words that the victim was bearing constant torture from her husband just after few days from the marriage on one pretext and on the other. According to the family members of the victim, the due got married on
27th of June 2007 and said that the accused not only torture the victim, but also demands money from him as the accused was unemployed. They also alleged that the accused always remained intoxicated and the victim was also facing harassment from her mother-in-law, who according to the family members of the victim provokes the accused against the victim. It was alleged that in order to doge and deceive the police the husband also burn his hands a little bit.
According to the sources, the deceased before succumbing to his injuries recorded his statement before the police, in which she stated that her husband Kishori lal along with his mother Kanta Devi wife of Radha Krishan Sharma harass her and on that day when the incident occurred, both accused and his mother Kanta Devi beat her mercilessly before she became semi conscious and later the accused in present of his mother put kerosene oil on her and set her on fire. She further said that after setting her on fire, the accused after some time tries to put off the fire in which he receive the minor burn injuries. She was reportedly told the police that both the accused and his mother after waiting for more then half hour starts crying in order to attract the attention of villagers and was well managed to do so and later shifted her to District Hospital Kishtwar with the help of the villagers. The victim was in tremendous pain narrate the story before the family
member, who reaches the hospital after receiving the information.
SP Kishtwar Dr. Haseeb Mughal when contacted informed that police has already registered the case in this regard at police station Kishtwar and said that the investigation has already started to collect the evidence, beside statement of the family members of the victim has also been recorded. He said that after examining the statement and other related evidences, the action against the accused whosoever it may be will be iniciated under law. He further said the accused Kishori Lal is under going treatment at district hospital Kishtwar under police supervision and after the treatment will be finished, the arrest of the accused will be made.
Meanwhile according to the accused Kishori Lal, there were no big differences between him and his deceased wife, which led to the situation as was accused by the family members of victim. He said that, on the day of the incident, when he reach home late in the evening and inquired from his wife, weather her mother in law (Kanta Devi) had taken dinner or not. The accused told that, his wife informed him that she had not taken the dinner yet and was waiting for him. In the mean time when he went to search for his mother, who according to the accused went outside the house, he heard cry and when he returned, he saw Sheekha was on fire and while protecting her, he said that he too have received burn injuries, the accused added and said that the incident was accidental and the cause of the fire was a gas stove.
However the family members of the deceased demand stern action against the accused and his mother Kanta Devi and termed the statement of Kishori Lal as forged as according to them, the accused was trying to gain the sympathy from the common mass, who were unaware about the heinous crime committed by him and he had no place in society to live.
Meanwhile senior National Conference leader from Kishtwar Nusrat Farooq condemned the incident and demands stern action against the accused and his family members who were involve in this heinous crime, so that no such incident will be repeated in near future.