The Chennai City Police has arrested a man for setting his wife on fire over the suspicion that she was having an extra-marital relationship. The accused, P Poovaraja (40), has been charged under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) and remanded to judicial custody.
At 6:30 pm on Monday, March 8, which also happens to be International Women's Day, Poovaraja returned to his house in Valasaravakkam, Chennai from his daily wage work. His wife, Radha (38), was in the house at the time. He reportedly got into an argument with her and then set her ablaze. Hearing Radha’s screams, their neighbours rushed to the house and doused the fire. They then admitted Radha to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital.
TNM spoke to the Valasaravakkam police who lodged the First Information Report and arrested Poovaraja. They said that Radha had sustained 15% burn injuries, mainly on her face, and that she is in a critical condition presently.
This is hardly the first case of marital violence reported this week. On the same day, about 600 kilometres away, in Thoothukudi district, a a recently married man hacked his wife to death, suspecting an extra-marital relationship.
The accused is Ponraj (27), who resides in Anna Nagar, Thoothukudi town. He was married to a 19-year-old woman, S Mariselvi, who hails from Thazhamuthunagar. TNM spoke to police officials from Thazhamuthu Nagar who said that the duo had wed on November 24, 2021, but had issues in their marriage and were living separately.
On March 8, Ponraj and two of his friends arrived at Mariselvi’s house. He asked her to come back to his house. As it was already late in the night, Mariselvi reportedly said that she would return to his house the following day.
The 27-year-old, who had a knife, then committed the crime in front of the victim's family. Mariselvi’s mother Mariammal tried to save her daughter, and the accused allegedly attacked her as well, leaving her with serious injuries. While Mariselvi did not survive the attack, her mother has now been admitted to the Government Medical College Thoothukudi in a critical condition.
The Thazamuthu Nagar police have lodged an FIR (First Information Report) against Ponraj and two other accused under sections 449 (house trespass in order to commit offence punishable with death), 294 b (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place, 307 (attempt to murder) 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
The accused and two others surrendered themselves before the judicial magistrate in Dindigul district. They have now been remanded to judicial custody.