Kakching, March 13: a 24 year-old woman identified as Mutum Ningol Sarangthem Ongbi Memchoubi Devi, wife of Sarangthem Mohen of Pallel Mayai Leikai under Kakching Police Station in Thoubal district, has succumbed to burn injuries at Shija Hospital at Langol.

The young housewife suffered 90% burns on her body in suspicious circumstances. Her husband Mohen is at present being treated of burn injuries on his hands and legs at Shija Hospital.

Reports gathered from the spot said that the couple runs a small shop which sells essential comodities and other articles. The shop is located a little distance away from their house near the gate of one Sarangthem Shitaljit.

Local souces said that yesterday around 6pm, Mohen was heard shouting that the shop is on fire. When people from the neighbourhood rushed to the shop, Memchoubi was found burning all over her body. Mohen was seen trying to douse the flames on her body crying "What have you done?"

The neighbours immediately evacuated the injured woman and her husband to RIMS hospital for treatment, but were referred to Shija Hospital, where they were kept in ICU ward and treated.
Memchoubi, who sustained nearly 90% burns on her body, died around 9 am today.

Believing that Memchoubi was badly beaten up before pouring kerosene on her body and setting her on fire by Mohen, the family, relatives and neighbours of the deceased today prevented the cremation. Mother of the deceased Mutum Gomti lodged a complaint with the Kakching Police Station through the Pallel Police Out Post.

A team of Kakching police came to the house of the husband of the deceased and picked up the dead body and kept it at the RIMS morgue for post mortem. Kakching police has started investigation into the incident.

Gomti, mother of the deceased, told reporters that Memchoubi and Mohen got married about eight years ago and have two sons of six years and four years respectively. Most of the time Mohen remains drunk and used to beat up Memchoubi. Unable to bear the torture of Mohen, Memchoubi had come to her parental home and stayed there on three or four occasions earlier. Yesterday evening also, when she (Gomti) went to purchase Ngaari, she found Mohen drunk and ransacking the articles inside the shop.

She further told the reporters that as soon as she reached home, she got the news that Memchoubi was burning. It indicates that Mohen poured kerosene on Memchoubi and set her on fire.
On the other hand, family of the husband said that the fire could have spread from a candle falling into a vessel containing kerosene. Mohen also sustained burn injuries while trying to save his wife.