A woman brought to Nishtar Hospital with burn injuries on Wednesday died a few hours later. Chehlak police said the post-mortem examination revealed that she had been tied down and set on fire.
The woman’s husband and his sister too had burn injuries when the gas cylinder, suspected to have been kept outside the room to make it look like an accident, exploded. They, too, were taken to Nishtar Hospital, where doctors said both of them would likely survive.
A case was registered against them on charge of murder.
Police said Mah Jabeen, 28, a resident of a colony near MDA Square, had married Nadeem Qureshi, a Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education employee, a few years ago. They quoted some relatives as saying that the couple often quarrelled over money because Qureshi would often skip giving Mah Jabeen money for shopping.
They said Qureshi also beat her often.
On Wednesday, police said, they had an argument, following which he again beat her up. He then, with help from his sister Farah Bibi, threw kerosene oil on her and set her on fire, locked in a room.
Police said Qureshi and Farah Bibi then put a gas cylinder in front of the room to make the death look like a fire accident. The cylinder, however, exploded, injuring the two siblings.
Some neighbours, who had already gotten alert after hearing Mah Jabeen shout earlier, rushed to the house on hearing the explosion.
By the time they arrived, Mah Jabeen was badly burned. Qureshi and Farah Bibi were also lying injured. They were taken to Nishtar Hospital, where Mah Jabeen was pronounced dead a few hours later. Doctors said she had 85 per cent burns.
Doctors treating Qureshi and Farah Bibi said they had 20 per cent burns each.
They would be kept in the intensive care unit for the next 48 hours.
Police said the injured said that the incident was a result of the gas cylinder blast, but Mah Jabeen’s family and some neighbours called for a police inquiry.
Some neighbours who had gone for the rescue told police that the room Mah Jabeen was found in was locked from the outside. They said her husband and his sister were found lying in the courtyard.
Police said the post-mortem examination revealed that the victim had been beaten up and her hands tied before she was set on fire. They said a case had been registered against Qureshi and Farah Bibi.
The deceased is survived by four children, all under six years of age.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2013.