

PUNE: An electrician and his four-year-old son died after the man set the boy and himself on fire at their residence in Adale Khurd village near Talegaon Dabhade on Saturday morning.

The deceased include Ankush Ramchandra Pingale (35) and his son Sonya alias Yogesh. The Talegaon Dabhade police have registered a case of accidental death as the motive behind the incident is not known.

Investigating officer Chandrashekhar Dalvi said that when Pingale's wife left the house to clean utensils, he locked the door from inside. He poured kerosene from a can on his son and set him ablaze.

Pingale later committed suicide by setting himself on fire, Dalvi said.

The incident took place between 9 am and 9.30 am. When Pingale's wife reached home, she saw that her house was on fire.

She alerted her neighbours and asked them to break open the door, he said.

The neighbours doused the fire by spraying water on the house. However, the duo died due to severe burns before they could be given medical aid. The entire house was gutted.

Police said Pingale worked as an electrician in Hinjewadi. He has not left a suicide note. Pingale and his son suffered 95% and 90% burns respectively, according to the doctors who performed the postmortem at a government hospital in Talegaon Dabhade.

Police will now record the statements of Pingale's wife and their family members to ascertain the motive behind the incident, Dalvi added.

