What started as a simple disagreement over cooking spiraled into a horrifying act of violence in Birmingham.
A 49-year-old man, Raju Mollah, has now been found guilty of attempting to murder his wife, Mosammed Mumtaz, after a row inside their home in Small Heath.
Violence Over Property and a Meal
The couple, who had been married for 23 years and shared three children, had been arguing for weeks about selling a property owned by Mrs Mumtaz.
But on January 12, things escalated. Mollah demanded an omelette, and when tensions flared, he carried out a brutal attack.
The Shocking Attack
Instead of walking away, Mollah poured hot oil over his wife’s head and face.
He didn’t stop there—he pressed burning cooker hob racks against her chest and face, and stamped on her while she lay helpless on the floor.
By the time paramedics arrived, Mrs Mumtaz was lying in a pool of oil and blood, her skin peeling, her face battered, and one of her teeth missing.
One paramedic later recalled that heat was still rising from the oil-soaked floor.
Paramedics and Police Arrive
A desperate 999 call brought emergency services to the scene just after 7 p.m.
Mrs Mumtaz was screaming in pain when officers entered the house.
In the ambulance, she managed to tell paramedics: “My husband tried to kill me. He’s a bad man, he threw oil over me.”
Mollah’s Version of Events
In court, Mollah wept as he gave his side of the story.
He admitted to punching, kicking, and stamping on his wife, but insisted he never intended to kill her.
Through a Bengali interpreter, he claimed that his wife had been demanding a divorce and even threatened him with a knife.
He argued that the oil spilled accidentally during the chaos, and that he simply lost control.
The Wife’s Account
Mrs Mumtaz told a very different story.
She explained that her husband had pressured her to sell her property far below market value.
On the day of the attack, he had asked for eggs, but she noticed he poured an unusual amount of oil into the pan.
Moments later, he deliberately tipped the boiling oil onto her head while saying, “This is the oil I put on for you.”
She remembered begging for her life as he pressed hot stove grids onto her body and taunted her with, “Take more, take more,” before attacking her further.
A Trial That Exposed Brutality
During the trial at Birmingham Crown Court, prosecutors argued that this was far more than an act of “losing control.”
It was an intentional attempt to kill.
Police officers Rebecca Pugh and George Kawalek, who investigated the case, later said: “This was a vicious attack, where he clearly tried to kill his wife.
She has shown incredible bravery in surviving these horrific injuries.”
Verdict and Next Steps
Mollah admitted to causing grievous bodily harm with intent but denied attempted murder.
The jury, however, found him guilty of the more serious charge.
He is now facing a long prison sentence, with sentencing scheduled for November.
A Survivor’s Strength
Despite suffering life-changing burns and injuries, Mrs Mumtaz’s voice has remained strong throughout the trial.
Her testimony left no doubt about the horror she endured.
What could have been dismissed as another domestic row has instead been recognized as a calculated and violent attempt on her life.
