Patna, Dec. 5: A pregnant woman was allegedly set on fire by her brother-in-law in Gaya's Burma village, around 100km south of Patna, yesterday when he tried to rape her and she resisted.

The woman in her mid-40s was admitted to Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital in Gaya with 60 per cent burn injuries. Her condition is critical.

Police said Ranjeet Kumar tried to rape his bhabhi (elder brother's wife) on Sunday when her father-in-law wasnot present in the house. Her husband her husband works as a labourer outside Gaya.

The woman told the Gurua police, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, that Ranjeet poured kerosene on her and set her on fire when he failed to rape her.

She was rushed to a primary health centre by her neighbours.

The station house officer (SHO) of Gurua police station, Pradeep Kishore Sinha, said the complaint had been lodged on the statement of the victim before a police team deployed at the Gaya hospital.

"The police have launched raids to arrest the accused, who is absconding."

The SHO said the police would move court to attachment his property if the accused continued to evade arrest.

Man strangled

Criminals on Monday strangled Suresh Prasad to death in his house on Sujata bypass under the jurisdiction of Bodhgaya police station over a dispute over construction of a 14ft road.

Bodhgaya DSP Ravishankar Prasad said: "Four people entered the house of Suresh Prasad around 9am. They locked his wife in the bathroom and strangled the tea trader. The victim had reported the construction of a shop on the 14ft road leading to his house and reported the matter at Bodhgaya police station."