Man gets serious burn injuries after petrol thrown on him during fight over parking in Delhi

A fight over parking a car in the RK Puram area here escalated when a man allegedly poured petrol on another while he was inside a car, which also subsequently caught fire, police said on Monday.

Sanitation worker Rahul Chauhan (40) suffered serious burn injuries in the incident that took place around 9.30 pm on Sunday in the Sector-8 Market, they said.

Mechanic Gaya Prasad (42) alias Kalu asked Chauhan, who was sitting with his relatives inside the parked car, to move his vehicle from near his shop. Following an argument over it, Prasad allegedly poured petrol on Chauhan in a fit of rage, which led to a fire inside the car, possibly due to a lit cigarette.

Prasad is currently being questioned by the police, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Amit Goel said a PCR call was received at RK Puram police station regarding a man being set ablaze by a mechanic. A police team reached the location and found the victim with burn injuries and he was immediately shifted to the Trauma Centre by the PCR van, the officer said.

“Rahul Chauhan, employed as a sanitation worker with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), was sitting inside a car with his cousin and two others when the altercation occurred,” the DCP said in his official statement.

His cousin, Siddhant Raj, told police that their vehicle was parked adjacent to Gaya Prasad’s shop.

Prasad allegedly asked them to move the car, which led to an argument. When they refused, the mechanic allegedly poured petrol on Chauhan, the officer added.

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“As per the preliminary investigation, the petrol caught fire—possibly due to a lit cigarette inside the car—resulting in burn injuries to the victim’s face and chest, and causing fire damage to the car as well,” the officer said.

The injured was admitted to the hospital, where doctors stated in the medico-legal case (MLC) report that he has sustained 20 per cent burn injuries. His condition is currently reported to be stable.

Based on Chauhan’s statement, police have initiated legal proceedings against the accused under Section 109(1) (attempt to murder) of the BNS.