Bhubnaeswar, June 7: A 45-year-old woman suffered severe burn injuries after a man set her on fire by pouring petrol on her at a slum behind the CBI office at Nayapalli.

Police have arrested Dambarudhar Das, 45, a native of Jagatsinghpur, who had been living in the slum for more than a decade, for committing the crime. He had allegedly committed the crime after the victim, a mother of three, rejected his advances.

The victim was rushed to Capital Hospital with more than 90 per cent burn injuries where the police recorded her statement. She was later shifted to SCB Medical College in Cuttack as her condition deteriorated. Doctors at the hospital said the condition of the victim was very critical.

The incident came to light around 3pm when a slum-dweller heard screams of the woman from her house. "By the time I reached her house she was completely on fire. I tried to douse the flames using a bed sheet but the flames were so severe that it was difficult to even reach near her. Later, I threw a blanket on her and informed the police," said the eyewitness.

The victim was rushed to Capital Hospital. "The victim told us that the accused, a car driver, reached her house while she was washing utensils. She also said that both of them had a heated argument after she turned down his advances. Then Das suddenly poured petrol on her and set her on fire, before leaving the place," said a police officer.

The woman has three children - a 15-year-old son, a 12-year-old daughter, and a nine-year-old daughter.

"The husband of the victim works as a peon in a nearby private school. No family members of the victim were present when the incident took place," said a police officer. The police said that both the accused and the victim were staying in the same neighbourhood for more than a decade and the accused had been trying to woo her for the past month.

"The accused has been nabbed and we are interrogating him further to ascertain the circumstances leading to the incident. We have also recorded the statement of the victim," said deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi.

Fake firm

Police today arrested two persons for allegedly running a fake airhostess training academy in Bhubaneswar. The arrested persons are Amit Tripathy and Rasmita Baral, director and co-director of the Institute of Aviation and Hospitality located at Nayapalli.