Woman travelling in e-rickshaw sets herself on fire after lover cuts contact; dies
A woman in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar died after setting herself on fire inside an e-rickshaw on August 15, with police investigation indicating that she was upset over her relationship with the e-rickshaw driver. The woman suffered severe burn injuries and died during treatment at AIIMS Rishikesh four days later.
Police have now arrested two people in connection with the case after examining CCTV footage of the incident.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryWOMAN SET HERSELF ON FIRE INSIDE E-RICKSHAWThe incident took place on August 15 on the Sitarganj bypass road. According to police, the woman was travelling in an e-rickshaw when she poured petrol over herself and set herself on fire.
The fire also engulfed the e-rickshaw driver, identified as Pavitra Sarkar. Both the woman and the man suffered burn injuries in the incident.
The woman sustained burns over around 80 per cent of her body. She was initially taken to a hospital for treatment and was later shifted to AIIMS Rishikesh. She died on August 19 while undergoing treatment.
The incident was captured on CCTV, and the footage became an important part of the police investigation.POLICE PROBE REVEALS RELATIONSHIP
According to the police investigation, the deceased woman and Pavitra Sarkar had been in a relationship for a long time. Police said the relationship was opposed by their families.
Following the opposition from his family, Sarkar stopped communicating with the woman, police said. Investigators said the woman was distressed after the communication between the two stopped.
Police said she subsequently travelled in the e-rickshaw and poured petrol over herself before setting herself on fire.
The CCTV footage showed the sequence of events inside the e-rickshaw and helped investigators reconstruct what happened.TWO ARRESTED AFTER INVESTIGATION
Sitarganj/Kichha Circle Officer Daulat Ram Verma said police received information through the emergency response number 112 on August 15 that an e-rickshaw had caught fire.
A police team reached the spot and found the woman and a man with burn injuries. Both were taken to a hospital for treatment.
The woman died four days later during treatment, following which police continued their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
After examining the CCTV footage and conducting further investigation, police arrested Pavitra Sarkar alias Kanhai, 35, along with another man who had accompanied the woman.
The two accused were arrested on September 14. Police said a case was registered under various sections of the law and both accused were produced before a court.
The investigation into the circumstances leading to the incident is continuing, police said.- EndsPublished By: Ritaban MisraPublished On: Sep 17, 2026 19:19 IST
