Delhi man suffers burn injuries after petrol thrown on him during parking dispute

A 40-year-old sanitation worker sustained serious burn injuries after a heated altercation over parking turned violent in Delhi’s RK Puram area on Sunday night. According to the Delhi Police, the victim was allegedly set on fire by a local mechanic during the dispute.

The incident occurred around 9:30 PM in Sector-8 market. The victim, Rahul Chauhan, was sitting inside a parked car with relatives when the accused, 42-year-old Gaya Prasad, asked him to move the vehicle, which was parked near his shop.

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The request soon escalated into an argument. In a fit of rage, Prasad allegedly poured petrol on Chauhan. A blaze followed, possibly triggered by a lit cigarette inside the car, resulting in significant burn injuries to the victim.

A senior police officer said, “We received information at RK Puram Police Station that a man had been set ablaze by a mechanic. A team was immediately dispatched to the location.”

Chauhan was found with burn injuries and was rushed to the trauma centre by a PCR van. Doctors later confirmed in the medico-legal case (MLC) report that he had sustained 20 per cent burns on his face and chest. His condition is currently reported to be stable.

The accused, Gaya Prasad, is currently being interrogated by the police.

The victim’s cousin, Siddhant Raj, who was present during the incident, told the police that the vehicle was parked adjacent to Prasad’s shop when the mechanic demanded that they move it. After the request was refused, the situation escalated violently.

“As per the preliminary investigation, the petrol caught fire—possibly due to a lit cigarette inside the vehicle—leading to injuries to the victim and damage to the car,” the officer added.

Based on Chauhan’s statement, the police have initiated legal proceedings against Prasad under Section 109(1) (Attempt to Murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).