Kanpur, August 18: An elderly man in Uttar Pradesh allegedly committed suicide after setting his wife on fire while she was asleep. The incident took place during the wee hours of Tuesday in Gopalpur area of Kanpur. While 65-year-old Ghaseetey Lal died, his wife Sugni Devi (62) is battling for her life in a hospital. According to police, Ghaseetey Lal's mental illness could be the reason behind his actions. Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Man Murders Wife For Marrying Victim's Younger Sister in Sambhal; Arrested.

Around 4 am on Tuesday, Ghaseetey Lal poured some inflammable substance on Sugni Devi and set her ablaze, according to a report by TOI. He then hanged himself. After receiving information about the incident, police rushed to the spot and sent critically injured Surgni Devi to a nearby hospital. Ghaseetey Lal's body was also sent for post-mortem. UP: Irked Over Wife Visiting Maternal Home Frequently, Man Hacks Her to Death in Kanpur Dehat.

The elderly couple had three sons Sanjay Paswan, Amarnath and Raj Bahadur. While Paswan and Bahadur live separately with their respective families, Amarnath would live with her parents. During initial investigation, police came to know about neighbours that Ghaseetey Lal had been undergoing treatment for some kind of psychological disorder for a long time. He had attempted suicide multiple times, said the neighbours.

His attempts were thwarted by his family members, they added. "His wife has been admitted to a private hospital by family members, where we are in the process of recording her statement," Inspector Panki Dadhibal Tiwari was quoted as saying. The officer added that Ghaseetey Lal's mental illness could be the reason behind the incident. Further investigation was underway.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2021 01:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).