Woman, paramour immolate selves

Rajkot: A woman and her Muslim paramour immolated themselves in Arogyanagar locality of Wankaner in Morbi district on Sunday night. Both of them were rushed to Rajkot Civil Hospital where their condition is said to be critical.

The victims were identified as Hetal Vaghela (28), a resident of Budhnagar in Shapar-Veraval Industrial Zone in Rajkot and Aftab Khokhar (30), who hails from Arogyanagar, but runs a mutton shop in Shapar-Veraval.

According to police, both victims are married and were having an extra marital affair. Vaghela, a divorcee, separated from her husband in Dhoraji six months ago. She has two children — a daughter and a son — and has moved to live with her parents in Shapar-Veraval.

In Shapar-Veraval, she started working as a labourer at a factory, opposite which Khokhar has his mutton shop. Both fell in love four months ago. Meanwhile, Khokhar’s wife Mehrun came to know about the relationship and both had an altercation. Mehrun walked out on Khokhar and went to her parents’ home in Wankaner.

Khokhar met Vaghela on her way to the factory and told her about his fight with Mehrun. Then, both went to Wankaner, probably to persuade Mehrun to return to Khokhar. However, instead of meeting Mehrun, they went to Khokhar’s house in Arogyanagar where they first consumed phenyl and then committed self-immolation.

“It is suspected that when the victims realized about the bleak future of their relationship, they decided to take the drastic step,” said P C Monia, sub-inspector with Wankaner city police station.