Bhubaneswar: Police Friday produced a person in court on the charges of failing to provide medical treatment to his wife who sustained severe burns while cooking at his residence at a slum under Chandrasekharpur police limits Wednesday night.
The accused, identified as Raju Devgan, is a resident of Badampahad area in Mayurbhanj. Devgan, staying at the Pirabasa slum in Hathiasuni area, is a daily wager.
The deceased woman, identified as Mani, was a resident of Science Park slum under Sahid Nagar police limits.
According to sources, Mani, who was staying with her family after divorcing her first husband, came in contact with the accused six years ago. Later, they developed a relationship and subsequently married. The couple has a five-year-old child out of their wedlock.
The accused has claimed that when Mani was cooking Wednesday night, her saree accidentally caught fire from the earthen chulah.
He further claimed that he did not hear Mani’s screams as he was in deep sleep after consuming excessive rice beer. He came to know about the incident Thursday morning and called the Nayapalli police.
However, police sources revealed that despite knowing about the mishap, Devgan did not take her to hospital for treatment. He neither called the ambulance nor informed the police about the incident Wednesday night. As a result, Mani succumbed to the injuries without getting any treatment.
Later, police reached the spot and seized Mani’s body while detaining the accused at the police station. Nayapalli police handed over the accused to Chandrasekharpur police as the place of crime lies under the latter’s jurisdiction. Chandarsekharpur police registered a case (25/19) and sent him to the court Friday.
