A woman who lit a candle to pray in her home shrine and ended up accidentally starting a fire that led to her roommate’s tragic death has been found guilty of manslaughter.
The 23-year-old Indian was sentenced to one year in prison by the High Criminal Court in August, which also ordered her deportation after serving her sentence.
She appealed the verdict before the Supreme Criminal Appeals Court, but judges upheld the conviction and sentence.
The GDN previously reported that the woman had arrived in Bahrain in late February, less than five weeks before the fire broke out in March.
In her final moments, the expatriate victim called her flatmates pleading for help. She was eventually rescued by Civil Defence personnel but later died in hospital.
An autopsy determined that she died of smoke inhalation.
The appellant recounted how the fire started: “The candle remains lit all day and I don’t put it out,”
She earlier testified, describing the shrine as a white wooden table holding the fragrant stick and a heap of rice flour.
“My roommates and I perform rituals from our religion, Hinduism, and I send a photo of the shrine to my mum as a habit.
“After I lit it, I went to the living room and sat with my roommates, when the victim called, asking for help.”
A flatmate testified that the bedroom where the shrine was located was on fire and that the victim was trapped in the bathroom, screaming, “Fire, fire!”
The women tried to rescue her, but were unable to reach her because of the flames and thick smoke. The building’s security guard recalled hearing the fire alarm at 2.20pm on March 30 and going to the fifth floor, where he found three women standing outside a flat that was on fire.
They told him that another woman was still inside the apartment, prompting him to call the emergency services. Civil Defence personnel extinguished the blaze and brought the victim to safety. Medics attempted to save her, but she died.
The coroner concluded that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning and noted signs of smoke and fire on the body.
The doctor also ruled out assault, finding no signs of physical violence or recent injuries. During defence arguments, the young Indian woman’s lawyer claimed that the victim had died as a result of a medical error by emergency doctors, alleging that they had misdiagnosed her condition. No evidence was presented to support the claim.
He also argued that the fire may have been caused by a faulty electrical outlet nearby rather than a candle lit by the appellant. Despite the defence arguments, the woman was sentenced to one year in prison, a verdict that was upheld by the appeals court.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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