Indore: A software engineer armed with an axe accosted his 22-year-old former friend and college mate demanding that she marry him. Otherwise, he threatened, he would douse her in petrol and set her on fire. Passersby heard her cries for help and caught hold of the youth and handed him over to police.
Investigating officer, SI Dhanwanti Kokade of Vijaynagar police, talking to Free Press said the accused Jeet Kumar Paneri (24) works in a well-known software company. “He and the girl were earlier friends, but she ended their relationship due to his heavy drinking. However, Paneri kept stalking her and pestering her for marriage,” SI Kokade said.
Police said, on Friday, being Valentine’s day, he accosted the girl near Gurudev Complex while she was going to work in her two-wheeler. He placed his motorcycle right in front of her two-wheeler forcing her to stop. Waving his axe in a threatening manner, he demanded that she agree to marry him. Pointing to a bottle of petrol he was carrying, he also threatened that he would douse her in petrol and set her on fire and then kill himself. The girl first called her brother on phone asking for help, but he threatened that he would kill her brother too. Badly frightened, she cried for help and some passersby stopped and intervened. They called police who came and arrested the accused.
SI Kokade said that during questioning Paneri said that he had purchased the axe online around a month ago, and he was determined to force the girl into agreeing to marry him on Valentine day, so he had carried the axe with him to intimidate her. He has been booked under various sections of IPC including stalking and criminal intimidation.