Month ago,cops tried to unite girl ‘set on fire’ with lover

Deepa had gone to Pingale’s home with her brother,who was allegedly injured in an attack by Pingale’s family. Pingale’s defence is Deepa committed suicide but senior inspector Deepak Sawant of Yerawada police station suspects it was murder.

“The girl had approached us complaining he was not marrying her. Police had intervened and brought about a compromise and we are now probing what made him set her on fire,” Sawant said.

Pingale,24,and his brother Hanumant were produced before judicial magistrate first class(JMFC) S M Padolikar who remanded in police custody till October 22. Hanumant’s wife Sushma is absconding.

Police said Deepa’s mother Vandana had objected to the affair two years ago and the couple had decided not to meet again,but last month Deepa told her mother she and Mirilal had decided to marry.

Last month,she learnt Mirilal was looking at another alliance and she went to his home and met his parents. This resulted in quarrels within his family. Deepa requested her mother to speak to the Pingales but she refused. It was the Pingales who turned up at Deepa’s home and complained to her mother that she was frequently calling up Mirilal. The two had a quarrel and ultimately they went to Jail Road police chowky. When the police told them that a complaint could lead to arrests; the “compromise” was then struck.

On Sunday,Mirilal reportedly rang up Deepa but her mother told her to not to take his calls. On Monday,Deepa went to Mirilal’s home to ask why he had been calling. It was then that Mirilal allegedly set her afire and beat up her brother Chetan.