Mumbai:
In course of a violent altercation with her lover with whom she was embroiled in an extra-marital relationship, a 25-year-old woman doused herself with kerosene, threatening to set herself on fire to prove her undying love for him. Little did she know that her lover would do the honours himself, and toss a burning matchstick at her.
For two days, Nazma Shaikh, the victim, misinformed the Malwani police, leading them to believe that she sustained the 65 per cent burns when the stove in her kitchen burst accidentally. She only revealed the true story on Thursday, following which the police arrested Asif Faiyaz Shaikh, her 27-year-old lover. Though married to a man who works in Dubai, Nazma had been involved in an affair with Shaikh for the past one year. She had told him that her husband had abandoned her and gone off to Dubai.
On Monday, however, Shaikh -- a tailor -- learnt that Nazma's marriage was not on the rocks, and that her husband was merely away on work. Furious, he told Nazma that he wanted to put an end to their relationship. Nazma, however, was unwilling to part ways, and insisted that she had severed all ties with her husband.
The couple got into in a heated argument, in course of which Nazma claimed that she would take her own life to prove her love for Shaikh.
She doused herself with kerosene. Holding matches in her hand, she threatened Shaikh that she would set herself on fire if he didn't take her back.
Shaikh snatched the matchbox from Nazma's hands and lit a matchstick. "Shaikh told her that he did not trust her. In a fit of rage, he lit one of the matchsticks and flung it at her, setting her on fire," said Jaywant Hergude, assistant commissioner of police. Nazma was rushed to Masina hospital, where she has been undergoing treatment.
The police arrested Shaikh on the charges of attempted murder.