Jammu, Oct 22 (IANS) A woman died in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Udhampur district after her stepson allegedly threw petrol on her and set her on fire, police said on Thursday.
Police said on Thursday that a 42-year-old woman, who was allegedly attacked with petrol by her stepson in the Housing Colony area of Udhampur on Wednesday evening, succumbed to her burn injuries later.
The accused has been arrested. The deceased, identified as Sushma Devi, was allegedly attacked after her stepson sprinkled petrol on her and set her ablaze.
She was initially shifted to a hospital in Udhampur before being referred to GMC Jammu for specialised treatment, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Reports said the woman’s condition had been critical following the incident, and officials added that police has taken cognisance of the incident and initiated further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged attack.
The accused identified as Moksh Verma allegedly sprinkled petrol or diesel on his stepmother inside their house and set her ablaze.
Sushma Devi suffered severe burn injuries covering roughly 70 per cent of her body.
Neighbours and family members rushed her to the District Hospital in Udhampur, from where she was referred in a critical condition to Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu. She later succumbed to her burn injuries at the hospital.
According to NCRB data, registered cases of juveniles in conflict with the law in J&K rose significantly from 171 cases in 2020 to 323 cases in 2021, and further reached 361 cases in 2022.
A retrospective psychiatric study published in 2024 by Institute of Mental health & Neurosciences-Kashmir on juvenile offenders noted that common charges fell under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the Arms Act, and the POCSO Act.
Legal and mental health experts in the Union Territory note that a significant portion of juveniles entering the justice system are first-time offenders driven by family conflict, severe financial stress, and lack of parental guidance rather than habitual criminal intent.
–IANS
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