In a horrific incident, a man burnt his two wives to death in a car after an argument broke out between the women while travelling together in Rajasthan's Jalore district, police said on Wednesday.
In order to hoodwink the police, accused Deepram concocted a sob story, but ultimately spilled the beans on his crime committed on Tuesday in Chilatwana village. He has since been arrested.
Police said Deeparam and his two wives Malu, 27, and Dariya, 22, were accompanying him to market along one of his sons to buy jewellery when a verbal duel ensued.
Already frustrated by their frequent fights, Deepram took the car to a deserted street, doused it in petrol and set it afire even while the two women were inside, burning them alive.
Deeparam told police that while they were on way to the market, the car developed a snag, following which he got down to check. He claimed that the car doors got autolocked even as the car caught fire. Area villagers helped him in dousing the flames, he told policemen.
Not convinced by his narration of the whole incident, police quizzed passers-by and others.
A rural woman told police that one of the women victims, before she was burnt alive, had come running to her while she was working in the fields. Even as they were talking, Deeparam arrived there and pulled away his wife and made her sit in the car, the village woman allegedly told police.
Deepram then drove away the car and later villagers saw the car ablaze a few kilometres ahead. The people in the area rushed to the spot and tried to douse the flames by throwing water but could not save the two women occupants. Deepram had, in the meantime, pulled out his son to safety.
When Chitalwana police grilled him, Deeparam finally broke down and admitted to his crime.
Deepram, a construction labourer, said he had married the second time as his first wife was mentally challenged.
