Man kills self after setting house on fire in south Delhi

A 50-year-old man allegedly committed suicide on Thursday after setting his house on fire in south Delhi, police said.

The deceased, identified as Layeek Ahmed, was a resident of Budh Bazar in Sangam Vihar.

According to the police, a PCR call was received at 12:35 am on Thursday regarding a fire and a cylinder blast at a house. A police team rushed to the scene.

“A team was immediately dispatched and found the house extensively burning. Two fire engines were already at the spot, working to douse the flames. After the fire was extinguished, Ahmed’s burnt body was recovered,” a senior police officer said.

During the initial inquiry, the police discovered that Ahmed was an alcoholic and mentally challenged.

“His 21-year-old son, who works in Noida, was at work when the incident occurred,” the officer added.

Ahmed had sent his wife to run errands. He then closed the door and set the house on fire.

“When his wife returned and saw the fire, she raised an alarm,” the officer stated.

A crime team was called to the scene and the body was sent for a post-mortem, according to the police. (With inputs from PTI)