India: Teen sets father on fire after being scolded for stealing money

In a shocking incident in India, a 14-year-old boy allegedly set his father on fire after being scolded for suspected theft at their rented home in Haryana’s Faridabad, police said on Tuesday, as reported by PTI.

The incident took place around 1:30 am in the Naveen Nagar area. The juvenile was later traced and taken into police custody, officials said.

According to a PTI report, the building owner, who lived on the ground floor, woke up to cries for help in the early hours of Tuesday. Realising the screams were coming from the first floor, he rushed to assist but found the door locked. Neighbours attempting to rescue the victim discovered that the boy had allegedly barricaded the stairway entrance.

As per a complaint filed by landlord Riyazuddin, he woke up around 2 am to the screams of 55-year-old Mohammad Aleem. “When I tried to reach the terrace where Aleem and his son lived in a rented room, I found the door locked. With a neighbour’s help, I managed to reach the terrace and saw the room engulfed in flames, with its door locked from the outside and Aleem trapped inside,” he said.

Aleem succumbed to severe burns on the spot, while his son escaped by jumping into a neighboring house, Riyazuddin claimed.

Police said Aleem had confronted his son for allegedly stealing money from his pocket. A senior officer stated that the boy, possibly in a fit of rage, poured an inflammable substance on his father and set him ablaze. The juvenile is now in custody and being questioned.

Aleem, a native of Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur, had moved to Faridabad with his son in September last year and rented a room on Riyazuddin’s terrace in Ajay Nagar Part 2. He earned a living by collecting donations for religious places and selling mosquito nets and other items in weekly markets. His wife had passed away years ago, and his four married children lived separately, police said.

Investigators are probing whether the act was premeditated or an impulsive reaction. “The victim had repeatedly warned the boy about his behavior. We are investigating if the crime stemmed from long-standing resentment or was a sudden outburst,” an officer said.

Aleem’s body has been sent to Badshah Khan Civil Hospital for a post-mortem, and legal proceedings are underway.