A love affair has ended in the tragic death of a youth after he reportedly set himself afire. Jithu Mohan, 23, allegedly tried to immolate himself at the house of his lover’s relatives at Methala in Kodungallur on Friday last, frustrated by their opposition to the love affair and was admitted to the General Hospital in Ernakulam.
He succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday. He was also the vice-captain of the Kerala junior football team.
There are two versions about his ‘immolation.’ The police authorities and some locals near the accident site said that he had poured kerosene over himself and set himself ablaze after his attempt to convince his lover’s relatives turned futile. However, Jithu Mohan told the First Class Magistrate in his dying statement that his lover’s relatives, including a policeman at the Kodungallur AR camp, poured kerosene on him and set him afire in the courtyard of the cop’s house after a conciliatory effort turned futile.
Irinjalakuda DySP Biju Bhasker told Express that according to his dying statement, he was set ablaze by his lover’s relatives. “But as per the information we received from the site of the incident, the youth set himself ablaze frustrated over the behaviour of the girl’s relatives.
“We have registered an FIR in accordance with his statement but would probe the issue from all angles and submit the final report in the court,” he said.
According to locals, they had found the youth struggling with flames all over the body. They doused the flames and rushed him to Ernakulam General Hospital with more than 90 per cent burns. According to the dying statement, the house where he reportedly tried to immolate himself belongs to the cop.
The girl, a native of Chunakkara, is the cop’s sister-in-law. They were in love for the last few months and the girl’s parents, who opposed the affair, had shifted her to Kodungallur.
The Hindu Aikyvedi called a hartal in Kodungallur and Mavelikkara taluks on Wednesday in protest against the incident.