15 December,2025 02:09 PM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya Iyer
Representational Image. File Pic
The VB Nagar police have now added additional charges of attempt to murder and rioting in the case of a 21-year-old man who was allegedly beaten and set on fire by his childhood friends during his birthday celebration in the early hours of November 25. The five accused, all aged between 18 and 21, have been booked under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with provisions related to unlawful assembly and rioting, police said.
The case relates to an incident in which five youths allegedly dragged their 21-year-old childhood friend, Abdul Khan, out of his residence, assaulted him with stones and wooden sticks, and set his clothes on fire during his birthday celebration in the early hours of November 25.
Earlier, at the time of registration of the FIR, police had invoked only Section 110 of the BNS (attempt to commit culpable homicide), which carries a maximum punishment of three years' imprisonment. Police said the decision to add the more stringent charge of attempt to murder, which attracts imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine, was taken after the victim gave an additional statement, citing the extent of the injuries he continues to suffer.
"It was the victim's insistence, coupled with the medical assessment of his burn injuries, that led to the additional sections in the FIR," a police official said.
The victim's supplementary statement was submitted through his lawyers, advocate Mahesh Vinod Rajpopat and advocate Akshit Devendra Kothari, who appeared before the court on his behalf as complainants.
The five accused - Ayaz Malik, Ayan Malik, Salman Chaudhary, Ajjubaila Khan and Sarif Shaikh, aged between 18 and 21 - were earlier arrested immediately after filing the FIR.
The accused and the victim, Abdul Khan, were childhood friends who grew up in the same locality. According to the police, the accused reached Khan's residence around midnight with a cake to celebrate his birthday. Shortly after stepping out of the building following the celebration, a sudden quarrel broke out. During interrogation, the accused claimed the incident occurred while they were "having fun", describing it as "masti masti mein". Police, however, said the exact trigger for the assault was initially unclear.
Further interrogation of the accused and a detailed statement recorded from the victim later revealed what police described as a deep-seated motive driven by jealousy and resentment. The police official investigating the case said that Khan was considered the most good-looking among the group and often received attention from women, which allegedly irked the accused.
Police further asserted that one of the accused was particularly upset after a woman he was interested in rejected him and showed a preference for Khan. "This anger built up over time. The intention was to disfigure him by setting him on fire so that he would become less approachable to women," a police official said, adding that this established a clear motive and intent behind the brutal assault.
The attack allegedly began around 12:10 am, when the group dragged Khan outside his home, assaulted him with stones and wooden sticks, and set his clothes on fire using a lighter. Two of the accused allegedly ignited his clothes, while the others continued beating him, police said.
As flames spread across his chest, arms and face, Khan screamed for help and ran towards a nearby water tap. Neighbours rushed him to the hospital, where he is still undergoing treatment for serious burn injuries.
