50-year-old Kerala man sets wife ablaze, ends own life

KOLLAM: A 50-year-old man killed his 36-year-old wife by setting her ablaze inside an Akshaya Centre at Parippally in Kollam on Monday. He then slit his throat and jumped into a well to end his life. The deceased are Nadira and Rahim, both residents of Navaikulam. Nadira hailed from Kodagu in Karnataka.

Parippally police, who have begun a probe, said the murder took place around 9.15am at the Akshaya Centre where Nadira was working.

They said Rahim poured petrol on Nadira and set her on fire. Many people who had come to the centre were waiting outside when this happened. Though they tried to catch Rahim, he escaped and jumped into a well nearby after slitting his throat. Rahim, who served jail term for assaulting Nadira over suspicion of infidelity, was released recently. A case of domestic violence was registered against him at Pallickal police station in Thiruvananthapuram earlier.

Kollam city police commissioner Merin Joseph said Rahim used to assault Nadira regularly. “Rahim, an autorickshaw driver, was released from prison only a few days ago. He plotted the murder after his release,” she said.