BHOPAL: In a bizarre case of heat related crime, a Dalit woman allegedly set herself ablaze after her husband refused to buy a desert cooler to beat the sweltering heat in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh.
The incident took place in Dharampura village of Nowgaon area of Chhattarpur (330 km from Bhopal) on Tuesday night.
According to Nowgaon police station in- charge Vinayak Shukla, the couple identified as Sukhawati and Niranjan Ahirwar had a heated argument following the latter's refusal to buy a desert cooler on wife's demand.
With Niranjan spurning the demand, wife Sukhawati, in a fit of rage poured kerosene and set her self-afire. All in flames, she even tried to hug Niranjan to ensure that he too died with her.
Unable to release self from clutches of Sukhawati in flames, Niranjan stabbed her repeatedly and finally managed to save his life, despite sustaining slight burns in the scuffle.
"Leaving Sukhawati dead inside the house, Niranjan subsequently walked to the Nowgaon police station and surrendered. He was taken into custody before being admitted at the Chhatarpur district hospital," said Nowgaon police station in charge Vinayak Shukla.
Sweltering heat is presently sweeping the Bundelkhand region of MP, with day time temperatures already having breached 40 degrees celsius mark in Sagar, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Tikamgarh and Panna districts.