Tarveen (right) with husband Naveen

New Delhi, Aug. 13: A fashion designer who was doused in an inflammable liquid and set ablaze outside her house is believed to have been threatened several times by a lady colleague of her husband’s.

The colleague, with whom Tarveen Suri’s husband Naveen had “become very close”, is also believed to have driven a car over her foot last week.

Tarveen was attacked by two men on a bike in the Greater Kailash II area on Saturday night. She is in Safdarjung Hospital with 80 per cent burns.

Her brother, Taranjit Bawa, today said Tarveen had confronted the woman and even spoken to her parents after she discovered the “affair”.

“My sister discovered about two-and-a-half months ago that Naveen had become very close to a colleague. She saw some messages on his mobile,” Taranjit said. “This woman started threatening her about 15 days ago.”

Determined to save her marriage, Tarveen approached the woman — she works in a Gurgaon travel agency with Naveen — but matters did not go very well, he claimed. “So she talked to her parents. The girl’s father promised he would talk to her.... But this girl got very upset. She told Tarveen she would now show her what she could do.”

The woman then apparently began calling up Tarveen’s office and badmouthing her.

Tarveen, who has two little daughters, works in a hotel. Earlier, she used to teach fashion designing at a polytechnic.

Naveen, who was in Goa when his wife was attacked, returned yesterday. The police have released a sketch of one of the accused.

A PTI report said Tarveen made a statement but police refused to confirm anything.