A couple in Odisha's Balasore district was set on fire while they were sleeping inside their house, allegedly by family members of a woman who had eloped with their son.
Bijay Behera and Aarti Behra were sleeping when a group barged into the house and set afire the cot they were sleeping on. The attackers later fled.
The couple's neighbours heard the commotion and took them to a local medical centre.
Both Bijay and Aarti were badly burnt in the petrol-induced fire. The woman has sustained 70 per cent burn injuries and is critical.
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They have been shifted to Balasore's AIIMS.
The family's relatives said their son, Pappu, had eloped with a woman from a neighbouring village. They suspect that the woman's family members set the couple on fire as revenge for their son's actions.
Police are yet to zero in on the motive behind the crime. They have registered the statements of the couple's neighbours.
(With inputs from Dev Kumar)
