Mumbai cop, Anil Aitiwadekar, dies of burn wounds

Mumbai : Mumbai policeman Anil Aitiwadekar, who was set ablaze by an auto-rickshaw driver while controlling road traffic in the city last week, succumbed to his burn wounds on Wednesday, hospital sources said.

The traffic constable was admitted to the hospital at Vasai with critical burns.

The crime took place few hours after Aitiwadekar fined Mahendra Kevat, the auto driver, on the spot after he failed to produce his papers.

An enraged Kevat returned to the spot with two bottles of fuel which he poured on Aitiwadekar and set him on fire.

Eyewitnesses said that they had attempted to nab Kevat after the incident, but he escaped.

“He came with two bottles containing some inflammable substance, threw the content on the cop and lighted him up,” they said.

Kevat, an accused with raping a minor girl in 2008 had been on bail.

He was arrested on Thursday morning and remanded to police custody till November 3.