Woman sets herself ablaze at police station in MP's Shahdol

Bhopal, Sep 3 (IANS) A 26-year-old woman has set herself on fire at a police station in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Saturday, adding she has been admitted to the hospital in a critical condition with severe burn injuries.

The incident occurred on Friday. She went to a police station at Budhar area in Shahdol district to lodge a rape case against a revenue officer (Patwari).

The accused Patwari was also present at the police station when the woman set herself ablaze, according to the police.

In her complaint, the woman alleged that the revenue officer had established physical relation with her in the pretext of marriage a few months ago but later refused to marry her, and also started avoiding her phone calls.

The woman also alleged that she had come to lodge FIR against the revenue officer but the police did not accept her complaint. Instead, she was advised to "settle the matter outside".

She visited the police station again on Friday to lodge complaint.

Subsequently, the police also called the revenue officer at the police station.

"Both were engaged in an argument and after a while, the woman suddenly poured petrol and set herself on fire. The staff at police station doused the flames but she received burn injuries. Later, she was rushed to a nearby hospital," said a police officer.

The revenue official was eventually arrested.

Superintendent of Police Kumar Prateek has ordered a probe into the matter.