GURGAON: A 58-year-old paralytic patient was charred to death after a fire broke out at his residence in Jatauli village in Hailey Mandi on Thursday afternoon.
The victim, Shakti Veer, was alone in the house when an electric short circuit caused the blaze.
Satya Prakash, Hailey Mandi SI, said the victim is survived by his two sons, and at the time of the incident, both were not present at the home.
Neighbours sprayed buckets of water to douse the blaze before the fire tender reached the spot. The victim sustained over 80 percent burns and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival, said police.
"Neighbours noticed the fire when they saw smoke emanating from the house. They pushed open the door and found the bed of the victim engulfed in flames. The LED TV near the bed also exploded in the fire, which we suspect might have occurred due to an electric short circuit. The mattress and the blankets on the bed caught fire, and the victim could not move out of the bed," the SI said.
"We received an alert at 2 pm. The victim was declared dead at the hospital on arrival. When the incident happened, his son Ajay went out to buy groceries. By the time he returned home, his father suffered burns in the fire," the SI said.
Lalit Kumar, Manesar fire officer, said the fire is suspected to have originated from the set-top box and engulfed the TV and bed.
"The set-top box and TV were close to the bed. The victim could not raise an alarm or move due to paralysis. Locals mostly doused the flames, and our team completely extinguished the fire," Lalit said.
Based on the statement from the victim's son, police held inquest proceedings as per section 194 of BNSS and handed over the body to the family on Friday after the autopsy.