Woman self-immolates after dispute; husband dies trying to save her

Meerut: A couple from Rahmapur village under Dibai police station limits in Bulandshahr died after sustaining severe burn injuries following a domestic dispute on Wednesday night.Rinku Singh (35), who worked as a labourer at a factory in Delhi, allegedly had an argument with his wife, Ruby Devi (30).“Rinku returned from Delhi three days ago to visit his ailing mother. An argument occurred between them after Rinku learned that Ruby skipped his mother’s medicine,” said SHO Vishal Pratap Chauhan.Following the altercation, Ruby allegedly poured kerosene on herself and set herself on fire inside a room on the first floor of their house. Seeing her engulfed in flames, Rinku rushed to save her but also suffered critical burn injuries in the process.Hearing the commotion, local residents rushed to the spot and took both of them to a nearby Community Health Centre. They were later referred to Aligarh Medical College due to the severity of their condition, where they succumbed to their injuries during treatment on Thursday evening.“The couple is survived by their four children — three daughters and a son, all below 10 years. The bodies have been sent for postmortem examination, and further investigation is underway. As of now, the children are staying with relatives, but their fate is uncertain, since Rinku’s elder brother is no more, while his younger brother is mentally unstable. We will try to extend support for the children’s upbringing,” Chauhan said.