Mumbai, March 4- A 17-year-old girl suffered 60 per cent burns after a man allegedly set her on fire in Mumbai's Andheri area. The girl, a resident of Marol in Andheri, and the 30-year-old accused were friends for the past few months. The victim's mother had recently asked the accused not to meet her daughter. Police said the real motive behind the crime is yet to be ascertained.
The incident took place behind a hospital in Marol Gaonthan area on Sunday at around 11.30 pm, during which the accused also sustained injuries. An official said that when the victim was sitting in a chawl (queue tenement) with her female friends after having dinner, accused Jitendra alias Jeetu Tambe allegedly poured petrol on her and set her on fire. He said that the girl suffered 60 per cent burns.
The victim is in critical condition and unable to speak and is undergoing treatment at the Dr. RN Cooper Hospital of the Civil Hospital here, the officer said. The victim and the accused knew each other. The officer, citing a complaint filed by the victim's mother, said that they were friends for the past few months and used to meet in the area. The complaint states that the girl's mother had asked him if they were in a relationship, but he had denied it. Later, the girl's mother met the man and asked him not to meet her daughter. The police said that the accused also suffered injuries in the incident and was admitted to the hospital. They said that a case has been registered against the accused on the basis of the complaint and an investigation is underway.