A 26-year-old woman died of burn injuries following an ugly and bitter break-up with her boyfriend at a park in Sector 35 on Monday night.

Based on her dying declaration that her boyfriend, Vishal, set her on fire, police arrested him for murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.

However, police are investigating whether the girl immolated herself in a pre-planned manner, as claimed by her boyfriend and a friend, whom she had purportedly called earlier in the evening to arrange petrol.

A resident of Kharar, Vishal, also aged around 26, works at a mobile shop in Bijwara Market in Sector 22, while the woman, a resident of Sohana, Mohali, worked as a housekeeper.

The couple was in a relationship for the last six to seven years, police said. However, their relationship had turned sour over the matter of marriage. Their fights had been escalating over the issue and heated up to the point of a break-up on Monday night.

As per police, the woman called Vishal on Monday evening for their “last meeting” before the break-up. Both also decided to return the gifts they had presented each other over the years.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman hired an Uber cab from her residence in Sohana to the Bijwara market in Sector 22 around 9 pm. After her arrival, Vishal asked her to reach a park in the adjacent Sector 35 instead. As it was nearby, she walked to the park.

After meeting, the duo had a bitter spat, following which Vishal returned her the silver bracelet she had gifted him on his last birthday. In a fit of rage, she tossed the bracelet in a dustbin at the park. She also returned a women’s top gifted by Vishal, who also dumped it in the bin. Police later recovered the gifts from the dustbin as evidence in the case.

After finally severing ties, the duo decided to go their own ways. According to Vishal, when he reached near the railing of the park, he noticed smoke and was shocked to find that his girlfriend had immolated herself.

According to eyewitnesses, Vishal rushed to save her, and removed his T-shirt to try and douse the fire. The burnt T-shirt was recovered from the spot.

An onlooker alerted the police on finding the woman engulfed in fire. Police rushed her to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital in Sector 16 with 80% burn injuries. There, in her statement before the judicial magistrate, she alleged that Vishal sprinkled some liquid on her and set her afire, but she did not want any criminal proceedings against him. She was referred to PGIMER around 3 am and succumbed on early Tuesday morning.

Sector 36 station house officer (SHO) inspector Om Parkash said they were investigating the case from all angles and also searching for CCTV footage from the area.

“We have registered the murder case on the basis of the woman’s dying declaration. Further course of action will be decided after further revelations in the case,” he said.

On Tuesday, a court sent Vishal to two-day police custody.

Motive still unclear in Kharar woman’s murder case

Mohali With the 29-year-old man, who had allegedly stabbed his 27-year-old girlfriend to death at her house in Sunny Enclave, Kharar, on Saturday, still battling for life, police continue to remain clueless about the motive behind the murder.

“We are yet to ascertain the exact reason behind the murder as the accused is undergoing treatment and not in a condition to give a statement,” an investigator said.

The accused, Anas Qureshi, had fled in the victim’s car around 4.30 am on Saturday after stabbing her in the neck.

Around 7 am, driving rashly, he had collided the vehicle into another car near Shahbad, Haryana, suffering multiple injuries on the head, back, legs and arms.

A native of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, the accused is admitted at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, Chandigarh. He lives with his two brothers in a rented accommodation in Dadumajra, Chandigarh, and runs an eatery in the Sector 38 market.

Police officials familiar with the probe said the accused’s condition was deteriorating.

According to police, the couple was in a relationship for around two years, but they had been having some disagreements recently, which suspectedly prompted Anas to murder his girlfriend in a fit of rage.

Meanwhile, police have sent the victim’s Apple iPhone to the forensics department to retrieve messages exchanged with the accused.“They will further write to Apple for helping them access the phone for crucial evidence,” an investigator said.

The 27-year-old victim worked as a manager for a multi-national company and lived with her family, including her mother, and an elder and younger brother.