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Moneylender sets three on fire in Chandrapur

CHANDRAPUR: A moneylender, desperate for recovery, set three persons of the borrower’s family on fire in Sarkar Nagar Colony in the city on Tuesday afternoon . While one of the trio set on fire is critical and battling for life, the accused Jasbirsingh Bhatiya too sustained burns in the instance.

Sources informed that one Piyush Harinkhede had borrowed Rs3 lakh from moneylender Bhatiya and the lender was insisting for the repayment.

Piyush had repaid some amount. After Bhatiya started frequenting Harinkhede’s house for recovery of the pending sum of around Rs1 lakh, Piyush had promised him to repay the same on Tuesday. Accordingly, Bhaitya came in the afternoon, but Piyush had failed to arrange the money by that time. He told Bhatiya to come back in the evening, but the moneylender insisted on immediate payment. The accused sat at Harinkhede’s residence for around one hour, while they tried to convince him to come back in the evening.

Losing patience, Bhatiya went outside to his vehicle and came back with two bottles of petrol. He poured petrol on Piyush and when his mother Kalpana and grandfather Raghunath tried to intervene, he put petrol on them also. The accused also sprinkled petrol on furniture in the house and set it on fire. Kalpana sustained severe burn injuries of around 60%, while Piyush and Raghunath sustained 25% and 10% burns, respectively. Accused Bhaitya too suffered burns on his hands while trying to set the trio and the house on fire.

On hearing commotion, neighbours rushed to the rescue of Harinkhede family and took them to the nearest hospital. Condition of Kalpana is learnt to be critical. Accused Bhatiya too has suffered 10% burns, mostly on his hands and has been admitted to a hospital. Ram Nagar police have registered an offence against accused Bhaitya, but his arrest is yet to be made as he has been hospitalized.

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