JANAKPUR, May 10: It has come to light that a man who sprinkled petrol on his wife and set her on fire three weeks ago wanted to kill her to save his illicit relations with his sister-in-law.

This harrowing aspect emerged after police arrested and interrogated Mukesh Goit, who set fire to his 18-year-old wife Nirmala Yadav. Nirmala died in Kathmandu while undergoing treatment for serious burn injuries. 

Police also arrested Goit’s sister-in-law Shyama for her role in inciting Mukesh to murder his wife so that they could elope together and continue their relations. Police are filing murder charges against both Mukesh and Shyama. 

Mukesh sprinkled petrol on his wife and set her on fire at their own house in Chiraya Tole of Shahidnagar Muncipality, Dhanusha district on April 18. Mukesh fled the scene when his elder brother arrived there just then.

Nirmala, who received severe burn injuries, was rushed to Janakpur Hospital after locals informed the police. She was then referred to the TU Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu. She was later transferred again to Kirtipur Model Hospital, where she died during treatment.

Initially, attempts were made to cover up the heinous crime and make out the incident as an accidental fire. But while undergoing treatment Nirmala said it was her husband who had set fire to her. Her father Kame Bhuskuliya filed a case of attempted murder against his son-in-law at Area Police Office, Sabaila. 

After Nirmala died of her injuries, police changed the case from attempted murder to murder and stepped up their search for Mukesh, according to Inspector Chandra Bhushan Yadav. 

A joint police team from Area Police Office, Sabaila and District Police Office, Dhanusha, arrested Mukesh from Gadda Chowki, Mahendranagar, where he was in hiding. Further details of the incident emerged during police interrogations. 

Police also arrested the sister-in-law, Shyama, on Wednesday evening, acting on information  given by Mukesh himself. 

According to the investigation, Mukesh had been in illicit relations with his sister-in-law since the last 13 month as his elder brother was working abroad. Although he got married to Nirmala some three months ago, Mukesh continued his illicit relations with Shyama.

Mukesh and Nirmala had a bitter quarrel after Nirmala caught Mukesh and Shyama in compromising circumstances one day. The dispute worsened in the following days. 

According to Inspector Yadav, Mukesh had gone to his sister-in-law’s shop to buy some petrol. When she asked what the petrol was for, Mukesh told her that he wanted to burn all his wife’s clothes. She then incited him to burn not just the clothes but Nirmala herself. 

Chief of District Police Office Dhanusha, Shekhar Khanal, said they will demand maximum punishment for both Mukesh and Shyama when the case is tried in court.

 
• women
 
• fire
 
• relations
 
• burning
 
• case