TIRUCHY: A Sunday night fire at a Palakarai bakery in Tiruchy, was on Tuesday revealed to have allegedly been the result of a premeditated murder plot. The blaze was thought to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, but on Tuesday police said the bakery owner had tried to murder his wife and pregnant daughter after learning the latter had gotten married without his knowledge.
Malika, the 45-year-old wife of S Vijayasekar, succumbed to injuries sustained during the fire, at the Tiruchy General Hospital, on Monday. Swathi, the 27-year-old, daughter has 70 per cent burn wounds and is fighting for her life. Doctors said chances of saving Swathi’s baby were bleak.According to police, Vijayasekar, Malika and Swathi were working at the bakery on Sunday night.
Vijayasekar allegedly stepped out for a while, but downed the shutters before leaving. On his return, he reportedly claimed to have found the shop on fire with his wife and daughter trapped inside. An electrical short circuit from an old refrigerator was thought to have triggered the fire. The women were rescued and rushed to the Tiruchy GH.
That night, Palakarai police reportedly learnt, from Swathi’s husband, that the couple had recently married and Swathi was seven months pregnant. Based on this, a magistrate-level inquest was initiated, with Malika providing a statement to a magistrate from a Tiruchy court that night. “Police found petrol particles at the site of the fire, thus Palakarai police questioned all possible suspects. During the course of inquiry Vijayaseker confessed that he had planned the fire to kill his daughter and wife,” an investigation officer told Express.
According to the officer, in Vijayasekar’s statement he had said that Swathi had married a police constable last year without his knowledge, but she had been living with her parents. The parents learnt of the marriage after she got pregnant. Malika had been supportive but Vijayasekar did not approve of the match as he thought his son-in-law was was not good looking and was a police constable.
Police said on Sunday night after leaving Malika and Swathi in the bakery and downing the shutter, Vijayasekar poured petrol into the bakery’s drain. The drain opened out near the fridge. He then allegedly lit the petrol. “Though both Swathi and her husband are from the same community, the accused was frustrated that his daughter married without his consent. He also attempted suicide while under the influence of alcohol,” A Amalraj, Tiruchy Police Commissioner said.