A young woman, apparently pregnant with the child of a married man, allegedly tried to immolate herself in Lower Bazar thana area of Ranchi on Sunday evening, sending ripples of shock in the crowded locality.

In her early twenties, Sania Khan, who is now battling for her life at RIMS in Ranchi with 70 per cent burns, was discovered ablaze around 7pm near the Tara Babu Lane house of her alleged lover, a much older and married scrap dealer Mahendra Jaiswal (47).

"She stayed at a nearby lodge and had been in a relationship with Jaiswal since a year. She is apparently pregnant too. She has suffered 70 per cent burns," city DSP S.K. Astik said, citing they had received this information from residents, but could not confirm if she immolated herself or was set on fire by someone else. Not much is about Sania's background or profession.

According to residents, who informed the police and spoke to The Telegraph without coming on record, on Sunday Sania reached Jaiswal's house where she had an altercation with his wife Reena.

Jitendra, Mahendra's brother, however, denied any illicit affair. "I have no information about any relationship. I do not know this girl nor have I seen her in this locality," he said. "I saw her ablaze, coming towards our house, screaming, and then she fell."

He claimed he ran out to help. "I called my neighbour Rakesh Kalra, who runs a girls' hostel, to bring a fire extinguisher. We took her to Sadar Hospital from where she was referred to RIMS."