Bhubaneswar: In a shocking incident, a man was arrested Tuesday for attempting to set his wife and daughters on fire over prolonged marital discord in the Kuha area under Airfield police station limits.
The accused has been identified as Ajit Mallick (36), husband of the complainant, Babita. According to police, Babita lodged a written complaint stating that she and her family, living in the Kuha area, had been facing long-standing marital discord with her husband, Ajit. A previous domestic dispute case against him is already under investigation at Airfield police station. In the early hours of Tuesday, around 4 am, the police control room received reports of a house being set on fire.
A police team, accompanied by Fire Services personnel, rushed to the scene and found Ajit creating a ruckus.
Preliminary investigation revealed that, due to ongoing marital conflict, Ajit deliberately set fire to his house intending to burn his wife and daughters alive. Police said he even tried to push his wife into the flames, but she managed to escape in time, saving her life. The accused further escalated the situation by brandishing a sharp weapon and threatening to kill anyone who approached. He also chased his wife with the intent to murder her.
After considerable effort, police overpowered and detained him on the spot. Based on the complaint, police registered a case and formally arrested Ajit under Sections 326(g), 296, 109, and 351(3) of the BNS and later forwarding him to court.
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