Bengaluru: A 18-year-old and his 45-year-old father are both under treatment for burn injuries after a row over taking the motorcycle without permission escalated to such an extent that the father tried to set his son on fire and then suffered burns himself as the flames spread to him.The incident occurred on May 1 at Pragathipura in Banashankari, south Bengaluru, leaving Anand Doddamani and his son, Mallikarjun, with serious burn injuries.Police said a complaint filed by Anand’s wife, Eeramma, said her husband was enraged after their elder son took his motorcycle without permission to go to a temple. Anand called up Mallikarjun and scolded him for roaming with “bad boys.” Even a video call by Mallikarjun to show he was at the temple did not placate his father.In the evening when Mallikarjun returned home and sat down for dinner, Anand allegedly abused him, and picked another quarrel, accusing him of bad company. The row intensified when the teenager answered back, leading Anand to slap him.Mallikarjun, who works as a tile-fitting labourer, then stepped outside and sat on the bike in front of their rented house. Anand continued abusing him from inside the house. Around 9.30pm, Anand stepped out, demanded the bike key, hit his son, and allegedly threatened to kill him.“When my son said ‘go ahead, kill me,’ my husband became enraged and said, ‘I will burn you, just watch,'” Eeramma told police.Anand, a mason, brought petrol he had drained out from the bike and splashed it upon Mallikarjun. At the time, their neighbours were cooking outside. Eramma said the petrol on Mallikarjun caught fire as the wind carried the flames to it. Some petrol had also fell upon Anand, and it, too, caught fire, she said.Their neighbours poured water to douse the flames. Mallikarjun was rushed to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital by Eeramma and others. Other neighbours also rushed Anand to the hospital. Both of them are now undergoing treatment in the burns ward at Victoria Hospital.Police have filed a case for attempt to murder against Anand. Doctors told police that Mallikarjun suffered 40% burn injuries, while Anand sustained 18% burns. Police are waiting for Anand to recover to take action against him. Mallikarjun often used to take out the bike and Anand used to drain out its petrol and ask his son to fill fuel from his own money, a police officer said.MSID:: 130732882 413 |
