Faridabad teen locks father in room, sets it on fire

Faridabad: The Faridabad police have apprehended a 14-year-old boy after he allegedly locked his father, 55, in a room and set it on fire, officers said, adding that by the time fire officials doused the flames, the man had already died.

Police said the incident occurred at around 1.30am on Tuesday in the Naveen Nagar area of Faridabad. The juvenile was later traced and taken into police custody.

Investigators are probing whether the man died of burn injuries, or whether he died of asphyxiation.

Giving details, police said that the deceased, a street vendor, was a widower who lived with his son in a rented, first-floor flat in the Naveen Nagar area. Officers who spoke to their neighbours said the father would often scold the boy for stealing money from his wallet, and for playing truant from school.

In the early hours of Tuesday, police said, the owner of the flat — who lived on the ground floor of the building — woke up to shouts for help. He quickly realised that the screams were from the first-floor flat, and tried to rescue him, but found the door locked. Neighbours who tried to break open the door and save the man said that the juvenile had allegedly barricaded the stairway entrance.

Ranveer Singh, the station house officer of the Palla police station, said the fire services were informed about the blaze, but by the time they brought the flames under control, they only found the charred remains of the deceased. “A forensic team later confirmed that a flammable substance was used to ignite the fire,” he said.

Faridabad assistant commissioner of police (crime) Aman Yadav said the police, after recording the statements of eyewitnesses, immediately launched a search operation for the teenager. “We were informed that the boy was last seen running from the house. A police team was dispatched immediately, and he was traced and taken into custody within a few hours,” Yadav said. He said the teenager was produced before the juvenile justice board (JJB) on Tuesday, which sent him to an observation home.

Investigators are also trying to determine whether the act was pre-planned or done in a fit of rage. “The victim had repeatedly warned the boy about his behaviour. We are investigating if the incident was the result of long-standing resentment or an impulsive act,” said Yadav.

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