Disabled elderly couple burnt alive in Bijnor

An elderly couple with disabilities was burnt alive after a fire broke out in their house at night in Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor district, police said on Monday.

The incident came to light on Monday morning when neighbors noticed smoke rising from the house, Circle Officer (Nagina) Anjani Kumar said.

According to the officer, Mahavir Singh (80) and his wife, Omi Devi (75), were in the upper room of their house in Kunjeta village of the Badhapur area when the fire broke out late Sunday.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the fire might have been triggered by a matchstick used to light a beedi, which possibly ignited the bedding, the officer said.

Due to their physical disabilities, the couple could not escape in time and died of burn injuries, the officer added.

The charred bodies have been sent for postmortem, the officer said.