A man in India set his wife on fire after she was slow to cook pork for his dinner.

According to police reports, carpenter Bernard Monteiro covered his 40-year-old wife Roselyn with kerosene and set her on fire. The incident happened in the village of Kaukrady, approximately 60km from Mangalore, a coastal city in the southern state of Karnataka.

A Bangalore Mirror report says Roselyn is being treated for 65% burns at a hospital in Mangalore.

Police say 47-year-old Monteiro was drunk when he returned home on the night of 6 July, carrying pork for dinner. At 9.30pm, he ordered his wife to cook the dish but she reportedly told him she would do it in a while.

An infuriated Monteiro then got kerosene from the kitchen and poured it over his wife, before setting her on fire. Neighbours were alerted when Roselyn began screaming for help and the couple's children, who were home, rushed to them for help.

Roselyn was immediately admitted to hospital but had already suffered severe burns to her hands, chest, legs and face. She was initially taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Puttur and later shifted to a facility in Mangalore.

"When the incident occurred, three children, including their four-year-old son, were at home. Doctors have informed this one week is crucial for her. We are praying for her recovery," a family member told the Bangalore Mirror.

Meanwhile, Monteiro has been arrested and charged under Section 307 (attempted murder) and Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

India