SAHIWAL: A married woman, who was allegedly set on fire by her in-laws over a hereditary land dispute at 108/7-R village, Harrapa, succumbed to her burns on Thursday in Jinnah Hospital, Lahore.

The victim had been shifted by a Rescue 1122 team to the Sahiwal Teaching Hospital, from where she was referred to the Jinnah Hospital, given her critical condition.

As per police, Umme Kulsoom (45) was married to Sajjad Ahmed in 2010 and the couple had a daughter.

The police say the couple lived in a joint family with Sajjad’s father, Sardar Ahmed, and his two sisters, Nadia and Sadia, on the same piece of land in different houses.

Kulsoom and her husband were in dispute with Sardar over the distribution of hereditary land as Sajjad’s both sisters were opposed to giving him his share.

A couple of days back, Kulsoom had a heated argument with her sisters-in-law, which escalated when her father-in-law, Sardar, joined in.

Following verbal clash, Sardar and his daughters allegedly overpowered Kulsoom, threw kerosene oil on her, and set her on fire.

As a result, Kulsoom sustained severe burns to her entire body and was critically injured.

She was later rescued by her husband, who called Rescue 1122 to shift her to the hospital in Sahiwal, from where she was referred to the hospital in Lahore.

Harrapa Station House Officer Waqas Dhako told Dawn that initially the police registered a case under sections 324 and 34 of the PPC against Sardar and his two daughters on the complaint of Maqsoor Ahmed, the victim’s brother. However, after Kulsoom’s death section 302 has been added to the FIR, he added.

The SHO said that none of the suspects — Sardar, Nadia and Sadia — could be arrested as they have managed to obtain protective bail from a local court.

He said Sajjad would also be interrogated as he had allegedly instigated his wife to fight for his share in land with his father and sisters.

Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2024