A 21-year-old college student, Abdul Rehman Khan, endured severe burn injuries when five friends set him on fire during his birthday celebration in Kurla, Mumbai, on the night of November 25, 2025.
Lured to Kohinoor Phase 3 by a phone call from one friend under the pretext of a party, Khan arrived to find a cake waiting, only for the group to pelt him with eggs and stones before dousing him in petrol and igniting him.
The entire sequence unfolded in front of a watchman’s cabin, captured starkly on CCTV footage that has since circulated widely, showing Khan’s desperate pleas amid the flames.
Khan, a second-year Bachelor of Accounting and Finance student at a Matunga college and resident of Kurla West, suffered burns to his face, hands, and chest.
He bolted towards the watchman, begging for water to douse the fire, before neighbours rushed him to a nearby hospital where he remains under treatment.
Police from Vinoba Bhave Nagar station arrested all five accused-Aayaz Malik (main perpetrator), Ashraf Malik, Kasim Chaudhary (or Qasim Chowdhury), Huzaifa Khan, and Sharif Sheikh—remanding them in custody until November 29.
Escalation from Prank to Near-Fatal Attack
What began as what the accused later dismissed as “masti” (fun) spiralled into a premeditated assault. Upon Khan’s arrival around midnight, the friends forced him to cut the cake in a society compound.
Laughter turned menacing as they hurled stones and eggs, humiliating him in a ritual some claim mimicked viral social media trends. Aayaz Malik then retrieved a petrol bottle from his scooter, poured it over Khan despite his screams, and flicked a lighter to set him ablaze.
Eyewitnesses, including the watchman, described the chaos: flames engulfing Khan as he staggered, skin blistering visibly on the footage. “He kept shouting ‘no, stop’ but they laughed,” one neighbour recounted to media outside the station.
Khan’s brother lodged the formal complaint, triggering a swift FIR under Section 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempt to commit culpable homicide-not culpable homicide amounting to murder, as initially feared—along with charges for grievous hurt and criminal conspiracy.
The video evidence proved pivotal, corroborating victim statements and witness accounts. Officers seized the scooter, petrol remnants, and the cake box from the scene, building a watertight case.
As of November 27, Khan’s condition stabilises, but doctors note potential long-term scarring and psychological trauma.
Deeper Motives: Bullying and Envy Exposed
Reports emerged of prior bullying by the group, who allegedly targeted Khan over his fair complexion, fuelling envy-driven resentment.
Friends from the same neighbourhood circle, the accused had a history of ragging Khan, escalating tensions to this extreme. Police interrogations revealed no robbery or deeper feud, but repeated “pranks” that normalised violence within their dynamic.
Khan’s family painted a picture of a quiet, studious youth blindsided by betrayal. “He trusted them as brothers; this was supposed to be joy, not jeopardy,” his brother stated.
The incident spotlights a disturbing trend in Mumbai’s urban youth culture, where social media-inspired challenges blur into real harm, often in crowded housing societies like Kohinoor Phase.
Authorities emphasise community vigilance: “Such acts disguised as fun demand zero tolerance; we’re probing if others knew,” a senior inspector told reporters.
The probe now examines group chats and past videos for patterns, with cyber cells analysing viral CCTV shares that amplified public outrage.
Legal Recourse and Community Fallout
All five, aged 20-24 and local labourers or petty traders, confessed partially, claiming no intent to kill. Yet, forensic analysis of burns suggests deliberate intensity, contradicting “prank gone wrong” narratives.
Courts extended custody for deeper quizzing, with bail unlikely given CCTV irrefutability. Victim aid under Maharashtra’s anti-ragging laws may apply, alongside compensation claims.
Kurla residents held impromptu meetings, decrying lax security in gated complexes. “CCTV saved his life but failed to prevent it,” a society member noted. Educational institutions face scrutiny too, as Khan’s college pledges counselling and anti-bullying workshops.
This case echoes similar tragedies, like past “birthday bumps” turning deadly, urging policy shifts. Mumbai Police launched awareness drives on flammable pranks, while NGOs offer Khan pro bono legal aid.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This barbaric betrayal shatters illusions of friendship, exposing how unchecked bullying and toxic masculinity poison youth bonds.
The Logical Indian condemns such savagery outright, championing empathy, dialogue, and kindness as antidotes to violence masquerading as revelry.
True celebrations unite; they never scar. Society must prioritise mental health education, robust peer intervention, and swift justice to nurture harmony and prevent future horrors.
