A squabble between two neighbours, Chanchala Devi and Bhubaneswari Devi — both in their early 30s — ended up with one pouring hot daal on the other on Saturday.

Bhubaneswari was admitted to Medical College and Hospital with critical burns.

Chanchala fled with her three children, but was arrested after she returned home on Monday.

She has been charged under Section 325 of the Indian Penal Code (voluntarily causing grievous injury) and granted bail.

The incident took place on Baithakkhana Road, in central Calcutta. Bhubaneswari accused her neighbour of subjecting her 14-year-old son to “sleazy gossip” that the two had shared earlier. She felt her son was too young to be included in such discussions.

“The two have been neighbours for years. Trouble started when Bhubaneswari’s son — aged around 14 — spoke about the extramarital affair of one of their neighbours that the women had discussed earlier,” said an officer of Amherst Street police station.

“On being asked, he said he had come to know about it from Chanchala. An enraged Bhubaneswari rushed out to confront her neighbour, as she felt that her son should not have been told about the affair. As the conversation heated up, Chanchala, in a fit of rage, poured daal on Bhubaneswari,” the officer added.

Both their husbands are Group-D employees of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.