Some commentators have invoked the term ‘reverse love jihad’ to describe cases where non-Muslim men allegedly target Muslim women through deception or coercion
NEW DELHI — A 30-year-old Muslim woman in Kolkata succumbed to severe burn injuries after a jilted Hindu man allegedly set her on fire for spurning his advances, police said.
The accused, identified as Siddhartha Chariwal, was arrested following the woman’s dying declaration in which she named him as the attacker.
According to police sources, the accused allegedly lured the victim to a secluded spot in the Maidan area of the city on the pretext of a job interview. Once she reached the location, an argument broke out between the two. When she resisted his advances, he allegedly poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze.
Passers-by, along with police personnel, rushed the woman to SSKM Hospital, where she was admitted with nearly 90 per cent burn injuries. Doctors said she remained in critical condition for two days before succumbing to her injuries on Monday.
Despite her condition, the victim recorded a statement naming the accused.
“My daughter had gone for a job interview. Later, we received a call that she had been found badly burnt. At the hospital, she told us everything and named the man who did this,” media reports quoted her mother as saying.
Family members alleged that the accused had been pressuring her to marry him for some time and had also lured her with the promise of a job, both of which she had refused.
Police said the case was initially registered as attempted murder but will now be upgraded to murder following her death. The accused was produced before the Bankshall Court and remanded to custody. Further investigation is underway.
The incident has triggered outrage, with several groups condemning the brutality of the crime and demanding swift justice. Some commentators have also invoked the term “reverse love jihad” to describe cases where non-Muslim men allegedly target Muslim women through deception or coercion. However, such characterisations remain politically contested and are not recognised as a legal category.
