Surat, 16 January (H.S.): In a harrowing domestic tragedy, authorities arrested 33-year-old Ranjit Saha on Friday for allegedly recording his wife's self-immolation rather than intervening, as the 31-year-old woman succumbed to severe burns following a heated marital altercation .

The incident unfolded on January 4 in their Ichhapore residence, where Pratimadevi—originally from Bihar—doused herself with diesel amid a dispute over disciplining their children after the boys damaged a neighbor's wheat stash on the terrace.

Saha, a garage mechanic who stored diesel at home for cleaning and pest control, purportedly taunted her to ignite herself, prompting the fatal act; instead of extinguishing the flames, he captured footage on his phone to ostensibly exonerate himself.

Pratimadevi, hospitalized immediately, recorded a statement on January 11 before her death that same day, while her brother's suspicions triggered a police probe uncovering the incriminating video. The couple, who eloped for a love marriage in 2013 post-family introductions via relatives' wedding, had relocated to Surat three years prior with their two sons and daughter, their bond fraying after the third child's birth amid recurrent quarrels.

Ichhapore police invoked Sections 85 (cruelty by husband or relatives) and 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against Saha, who now faces charges underscoring his gross negligence and provocation. Inspector A.C.

Gohil confirmed the video as pivotal evidence, highlighting Saha's bid to fabricate innocence amid the Bihar natives' strained life in Gujarat.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar