Hyderabad: Man sets woman on fire, arrested

Hyderabad: The Medipally police have arrested a painter who killed a woman for not accepting his marriage proposal. The accused Rakesh Rai, 25, of Uttar Pradesh developed an illicit relationship with a divorcee, who was a mother of two children and forced her to marry him. When she denied, Rakesh set her ablaze at her house on July 27.

According to the Medipally police Rakesh Rai alias Tum Tum is a native of Gorakhpur, settled at Devendernagar in Boduppal in 2010. He was working as a painter and lives in a rented house.His neighbour Syed Shannu, 30, a divorcee has been living with her parents for eight years and has two sons. 

Being neighbours, Rakesh and Shannu became friends and were physically intimate.From May this year, Rakesh has been forcing Shannu to marry him so that they can lead a new life, but, she refused as she already has two kids.

“Meanwhile, on July 27, when Shannu was alone at home, Rakesh went to talk to her. An argument ensued and an enraged Rakesh poured kerosene and set her ablaze,” said the police. 

“Rakesh had also suffered burn injuries to his right leg. The woman died while undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital the following day,” the police added.

Malkajgiri DCP Ch. R. Umameshwara Sarma on Monday said, “Rakesh went absconding after the incident. He was hiding at Gorakhpur to evade arrest. A police team went there, caught him on August 4, and brought him back to the city. He is being remanded to judicial custody and his mobile phone, t-shirt and trousers recovered from the crime scene.”