Bengaluru: A 30-year-old police constable, R Sanjay, stationed at the chief minister’s office in Bengaluru, lost his life after being allegedly set on fire by a woman he was romantically involved with. The accused, identified as Rani, a 35-year-old resident of JP Nagar, was arrested following the tragic incident.
Sanjay, originally from Channarayapatna and residing in Thyagarajanagar, was associated with the Basavanagudi police station. Rani, who served as a Home Guard at the same police station in 2020 and 2021, later joined a private security agency in Bellandur.
The relationship between Sanjay and Rani, who is married and has two children, began in 2020 when they were colleagues at the Basavanagudi police station. Even after Rani changed jobs, their connection persisted. They frequently visited each other’s homes, with Rani going to Sanjay’s rented house and him visiting her when her husband, a painter, was away.
The tragic turn of events occurred on December 6. Sanjay, after completing his morning shift, received a call from Rani, instructing him to visit her house around 6 pm. During their time together, Rani allegedly received a call from another man, whom she claimed was just a friend. However, a confrontation ensued when Sanjay, suspicious of infidelity, seized Rani’s phone and discovered intimate messages exchanged with another person.
The situation escalated, and, as per Sanjay’s statement to the police, Rani threatened to pour petrol on him and set him on fire. In a daring response, Sanjay bought petrol and challenged her to carry out the threat. Rani took the petrol bottle, poured it on Sanjay’s abdomen and back, and ignited the flames with a matchstick.
She managed to extinguish the fire and transported Sanjay to Victoria Hospital’s burns ward on her two-wheeler. The doctors alerted the V V Puram police about the incident. Initially, Sanjay claimed to have suffered burn injuries due to a faulty LPG gas stove. However, on December 19, he revised his statement, holding Rani responsible for the gruesome act.
Rani, on the other hand, denies setting Sanjay on fire, asserting that he poured petrol on himself and self-immolated. She claims to have doused the flames with water and rushed him to the hospital. Notably, Rani’s husband was away at Sabarimala when the incident occurred. This tragic episode unfolds as a complex narrative of a troubled romance, with changing statements and conflicting accounts.
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