A shocking incident unfolded in Koh village, Mathura, when a 28-year-old man, Umesh, allegedly set his married lover, Rekha, on fire after she refused to elope with him. Disguised in a lehenga to appear as a woman, Umesh entered Rekha’s home on Tuesday afternoon, sparking a violent confrontation that left both critically injured.

According to Farah police station in-charge Sanjay Kumar Pandey, Rekha, 30, was alone watching television when Umesh, a resident of Hasanpur village in Haryana, arrived around noon. Dropped near the village by a friend on a motorcycle, he entered via the terrace carrying a bottle of petrol. After Rekha rejected his demand to leave with him, Umesh doused her with fuel and ignited it. Rekha suffered burns over 70% of her body as neighbors rushed to her aid, alerted by her screams.

In a desperate bid to flee, Umesh leapt from the terrace, sustaining severe injuries. Both were initially treated at Farah Community Health Centre before being transferred to SN Medical College in Agra, where they remain in critical condition. Rekha’s husband, Sanju, a farm laborer, was at work, and her two children, aged five and seven, were at school during the incident.

Police revealed that Umesh, the brother of Rekha’s elder sister-in-law, had a prior relationship with her. Last August, Rekha briefly left home with him, only to return in February after her family filed a complaint. Since then, she had distanced herself from Umesh, a decision that reportedly enraged him, culminating in Tuesday’s attack.

No formal complaint has been lodged yet, with authorities prioritizing the victims’ survival. “Legal action will follow once a complaint is received,” Pandey stated.