A nurse died after allegedly being set on fire by her husband in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar town on Thursday night.

The deceased has been identified as Chhanda Roy, 35. Her husband, Ranjit Roy, a driver, also suffered burn injuries in the incident and is undergoing treatment in the hospital.

Chhanda Roy lived in a rented house where her husband would occasionally visit and stay with her.

The landlord of the property said, “Chhanda had been a tenant here for about three and a half years. She had bought a car for her husband, and they were constantly fighting over EMI payments and other issues, too.”

Recounting the incident, neighbour Ruma Dutta said, “I was inside my room when I heard a woman screaming. I stepped out and saw someone running away, and then I saw fire. A person took off his T-shirt and fled. Later, I saw the balcony was engulfed in flames.”

Neighbours shared that Chhanda and Ranjit Roy used to frequently fight over various issues lately. The situation had even escalated to the police station once; however, Chhanda Roy chose not to file a formal FIR against her husband at the time.

The person seen fleeing from the spot was allegedly Ranjit Roy, who was later detained in an injured condition by the police at the toll gate area near Cooch Behar’s Bhawal More. He has been admitted to the MJN Hospital, where his condition is reported to be critical.

The couple has a daughter, who studies in a residential school in Kalimpong.

The police have registered a case of unnatural death.