The house and the old bike of the 17-year-old boy

KOLKATA: A 17-year-old boy locked his mother inside their house and set her afire after she refused to buy him a new bike and an expensive cellphone.

The incident happened around 10.30pm at Jagatpur in New Town on Monday. The neighbours managed to unlock the door and also catch the boy before he could flee. On Tuesday, the boy was to appear his Madhyamik Bengali examination, which he missed.

The woman, Soma Manna (40), received 90% burn injuries and was admitted to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Later, the 40-year-old gave a statement saying her son had set her on fire. Following that, cops arrested the youth and sent him to a juvenile home. Cops have charged him charged him under IPC sections pertaining to attempt to murder and voluntarily causing grievous hurt.

Locals said the moment they unlocked the door, Soma came out running while burning from head to waist. "She kept screaming and running from one end of the alley to the other in excruciating pain till locals doused the fire with blankets," said a local.

The woman used to live in a one-bedroom rented house at Sulunguri in Jagatpur with his younger son for the past eight months. Her husband - with whom she had lately separated - lives in the neighbouring colony with their elder son. The woman used to run a small garments shop at Jagatpur and the boy used to study at a school in Nagerbazar .

Land lord Balai Mondal's wife Pratima said: "Soma loves her son a lot. She had agreed to buy him what he wanted once the exams got over but he wanted them by this week. When the mother denied, he poured kerosene on her and set her on fire," said Pratima.

The youth was produced before a juvenile justice boar, which sent him to a juvenile home for 14 days.

