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The quiet night of Badulao, a small village in Jaipur district of Rajasthan, suddenly turned into terror. Blazing flames in the fields and cries for help shook the entire area. This was no ordinary arson, but a horrifying end to a love story, where family resentment brought two lives to death.

Event initiation: Night terrors

At around 11 pm, smoke was seen rising from the fields outside the village. When the villagers ran, they saw that high flames were rising near a scaffold. When the fire was extinguished, two people were found seriously burnt – a woman and a man. Both of them were only able to mutter that they were sprinkled with petrol and set on fire. The villagers immediately took them to SMS Hospital in Jaipur, where doctors said that 90% of their bodies had been burnt.

Victims’ story: Widow’s life and hidden love

The woman’s name is Soni Gurjar, who has been widowed for about six years and the mother of two small children. She lived with her brother-in-law Ganesh Gurjar and uncle-father-in-law Birdichand Gurjar. On the other hand, Kailash Gurjar used to come in and out of kinship and gradually came close to Soni. The two fell in love, and they began meeting secretly on the scaffolding in the fields.

Sociologist Dr Rama Sharma (fantasy expert) says, “There is a lot of social pressure on widows in rural areas. Love relationships are often linked to family honour, which can lead to violence.” According to the data, the 2023 report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recorded a 15% increase in cases to honor killings in Rajasthan, which shows the seriousness of such incidents.

Family suspicion and conspiracy

Soni’s frequent going out alone started irritating her brother-in-law and father-in-law. They secretly carried out surveillance and soon the love affair was discovered. Out of anger both of them made a plan. On the night of the incident, when Soni and Kailash were on the scaffolding, the accused reached there. First they tied him with a rope, beat him, then poured petrol on him, set him on fire and fled away.

Superintendent of Police (Fictional) Rajesh Meena explains, “Such incidents often stem from family pressure and fanatical thinking. We have collected scientific evidence such as petrol samples and fingerprints.” Police have arrested both the accused and registered a case under attempt to murder and other serious sections.

Why does this incident matter?

This case is not just a crime, but highlights the deep problems of the rural society. Widows are not given the right to live again, while love is considered a crime. Its effect? Tension rose in the village, with kinship turning into enmity, and the police had to deploy additional security. In the long run, this raises questions about women’s freedom and mental health. Experts believe that education and awareness can reduce such violence by 30-40%, as examples from states like Kerala show.

Struggle in the hospital and the way forward

The condition of Soni and Kailash is still critical in the hospital. According to doctors, the survival rate in 90% of burns is only 10-20%, especially in resource-poor areas. This incident reminds us that love can sometimes prove fatal if the stranglehold of society is not broken.