A 26-year-old man allegedly died after setting himself on fire outside his wife’s residence in northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area following a domestic dispute, the police said on Tuesday.
The police said the deceased, identified as Deepesh Chaudhary, worked as a cab driver. An inquiry had been initiated and his wife and mother-in-law were detained for questioning.
The police said neighbours rushed after seeing him engulfed in flames. They reportedly tried to save him by throwing water, wrapping him in blankets, and bringing him downstairs, but he died on the spot.
The police said the man set himself afire after his wife asked for a divorce, accusing him of domestic violence. “The woman alleged that the deceased posed as an Indian Forest Service officer when they met. Later, she found that he worked as a cab driver,” said a police officer.
The officer said the woman told investigators that she refused to marry him last year, but he allegedly threatened her with their private photos and videos.
“They got married in January this year. Within days of the marriage, the woman said she left him because he beat her up. The woman refused to live with her husband and went back to her mother’s place in Jahangirpuri,” said the officer.
Another officer said the man carried phenyl and kerosene on Monday to his in-laws’ home. “He consumed the phenyl and set himself on fire after pouring kerosene. He made a video on the social media accusing the wife and mother-in-law of harassment,” the officer said.
The police recorded the statement on the basis of the video in which he alleged that his wife was having affair with other men and did not want to return with him. He claimed that when he tried to forcibly take her with him, his wife, Nisha, and his mother-in-law poured kerosene on him and set him on fire.
However, the police clarified that rumors alleging that his wife and mother-in-law had set him on fire were baseless. “Initial inquiry suggests it is a case of self-immolation. Legal action will follow based on further investigation,” the officer added.
Nisha told the police that the two met in 2025 through a matrimonial website. Originally from Pune, Deepesh described himself on the website as a forest officer. Nisha was pursuing an MBA and also working at the time. The two began interacting and meeting regularly.
Nisha alleged that during this period, Deepesh took some of her photographs. She later discovered that he was unemployed. When questioned, he allegedly claimed to be an officer with the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), but whenever she asked about his salary, he would become aggressive and quarrel with her.
Nisha said when she refused to marry him, Deepesh threatened to kill her father and brother. He also threatened to circulate her photographs and commit suicide outside her house if she did not marry him. Under pressure, she married him on April 2, 2026. The couple then began living in Uttam Nagar. Later, Nisha came to know that he worked as an Uber bike rider.
According to Nisha, Deepesh started assaulting her just three days after the marriage. She filed a complaint with the women’s crime cell and also filed for divorce in the Dwarka court.
She further alleged that on May 11, Deepesh attacked her, following which she lodged a complaint at the Uttam Nagar police station. When the police arrived, Deepesh fled the house. On May 15, she returned to her parental home.
