Kannauj (UP), Oct 28 A man accused of setting an elderly woman on fire after pouring petrol on her was arrested after an encounter with police here in the early hours of Wednesday, officials said.
The accused, Sarvesh Batham, sustained a bullet injury in his leg during the exchange of fire with police, Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinod Kumar said.
Police recovered an illegal firearm, cartridges, a mobile phone and a motorcycle from the possession of the accused, he said.
Batham allegedly poured petrol on Sontara (60) and set her on fire over old enmity in Tigudiya village under the Chhibramau police station area on Tuesday. Police rushed her to the hospital, the SP said.
According to doctors, the woman suffered around 30 per cent burn injuries and was referred to Ursala Hospital in Kanpur for better treatment, Kumar said.
Based on a complaint by the woman’s husband, an FIR was registered at the Chhibramau police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against Batham, a resident of Behta village under the Talgram police station area, he said.
Teams from the Chhibramau police station, the Special Operations Group (SOG) and the surveillance unit were deployed to arrest the accused. Around 1.45 am on Wednesday, police teams intercepted him near a culvert on Talgram Road and attempted to apprehend him, Kumar said.
The accused allegedly opened fire at the police team, prompting the personnel to retaliate in self-defence. He sustained a bullet injury in his leg and was subsequently arrested, he said.
Police said Batham is undergoing treatment at the Chhibramau community health centre.
(PTI News)
