Dhaka: A tea seller caught fire from his kerosene stove in the capital’s Mirpur area on Wednesday night after police allegedly hit the stove.

With 95 per cent burns on the body, Babul Mattabr, believed to be 45, was taken to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Babul, a resident of Munshirchar in Sadar upazila of Bhola, used to reside in Godaraghat under Shah Ali Police Station.

He used to run a tea shop near his tin-shed house at Mirpur.

Victim’s son Raju claimed that a police team of Shah Ali Police Station went to the shop of Babul at about 9:30pm and demanded toll.

As the tea seller refused to pay the toll, one of the policemen allegedly hit the kerosene stove with a stick, he said.

Under the impact of the hit, the stove overturned and fell onto Babul and soon fire engulfed him, he said.

Meanwhile, officer-in-charge of the police station Shahin Mondal said Babul had a scuffle with a police informant, Delwar.

At one stage of the fight, the kerosene stove fell onto the tea seller and the fire originated.

Later, a petrol team of police took him to the DMCH, the OC added.