Woman burnt alive after demanding money for consuming liquor

A 52-year-old woman was burnt alive by a man in West Bengal's Hooghly district after she demanded money from him for consuming liquor, a senior police officer said on Saturday.

Accused Sanjay Rajbangshi had beaten Lakshmi Karmakar with a rod on Friday night after she demanded money from him for consuming liquor, Chandannagar Police Commissioner Humayun Kabir said.

"After Karmakar became unconscious due to the beatings, Rajbangshi set fire to her," Kabir said.

While Karmakar lived in an abandoned railway quarter, Rajbangshi lived in Loharpara area near Hooghly railway station, he said.

The accused has claimed during interrogation that Karmakar had earlier abused his mother and had demanded money from him for consuming liquor on Kali Puja on October 28, the commissioner said.

Rajbangshi has been arrested and a suo motu case started registered him, Kabir said, adding that the body has been sent for post-mortem.