Ghaziabad: A tragic incident marred Diwali night in Ghaziabad’s Nandgram area, where a 30-year-old man allegedly set himself on fire after a domestic dispute with his wife. The man, identified as Tinku Kumar, succumbed to his burn injuries during treatment at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday.
Argument turns fatal on Diwali night
According to the police, the incident took place near Shiv Dairy in Noor Nagar under the Nandgram police station limits. Tinku, originally from Bahadurpur village in Meerut district, lived with his wife and children in a rented house in Ghaziabad. He worked as a daily-wage labourer to support his family.
For the past several weeks, the couple had reportedly been quarrelling, leading Tinku to stay away from home frequently. On the night of Diwali, around 2 a.m., Tinku, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, went to his wife’s house in an attempt to reconcile. However, when his wife refused to open the door, he lost his temper and threatened to set himself ablaze if she didn’t let him in.
He then poured diesel, which he had brought in a bottle, over himself and set himself on fire.
Neighbours rush to help, police respond
As flames engulfed him, Tinku ran out of the house, banging on neighbours’ doors and pleading for help. Locals rushed to his aid, throwing soil and clothes on him to douse the flames. They immediately alerted the police.
A Dial 112 team arrived shortly after and took him to the district hospital. Owing to the severity of his burns, doctors referred him to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, where he succumbed to his injuries the following afternoon.
Family blames wife, but CCTV tells another story
Tinku’s family members, who rushed to the hospital upon receiving the news, alleged that his wife had set him on fire. However, police officials have denied the claim.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Upasana Pandey said that CCTV footage from the locality clearly shows Tinku pouring diesel on himself and igniting it. “The preliminary investigation suggests that he acted on his own. We are continuing the probe to confirm all details,” she stated.
Police investigation underway
According to DCP City Dhawan Jaiswal, footage from multiple CCTV cameras confirms that Tinku had brought the diesel himself. “It appears to be a case of self-immolation following a domestic dispute. Further action will be taken once we receive the final post-mortem report from Delhi,” he said.
The incident has shocked residents of the locality, casting a grim shadow over the festive celebrations. Police have urged citizens to seek counselling or mediation in cases of domestic discord to avoid such tragedies