The father, Pandit Laxman Ahire, a resident of Ulhasnagar, allegedly doubted the character of his married daughter, Sangita Sharad Thoambre. The girl was staying for the past one year with her parents. He doused the girl with kerosene and set her ablaze.

Sangita is presently recuperating in JJ hospital.The police arrested Ahire on Saturday morning, on the basis of the girl's statement.

Other family members said the daughter was occasionally asked by her father to go back to her husband's house.

This is the second such incident in Thane District. Last week in Mumbai suburb Dombivli, a 17-year-old maid servant Rupali Patil was burnt to death by a couple of boys. The two teenagers were egged on by fear when they learnt that Rupali had revelaed some secret on an affair one of them were having.

A few years ago, an SSC girl student of Ulhasnagar, Rinku Patil, was immolatedinside the SSC examination hall by a youth, whose advances she had rejected.