CHENNAI: After 16 days of treatment, a contract employee of Ponneri Government Hospital, who was set ablaze by a man on the hospital premises last month, died at Kilpauk Government Hospital on Tuesday evening.
The deceased, Rajeshwari, a resident of Upparapalayam, was working as a temporary computer operator at the Ponneri GH. On September 21 evening, she was walking towards the exit when Prakash, a cab driver from Madhavaram who was known to her, allegedly approached her near the hospital’s ramp, poured petrol on her and set her ablaze.
After Rajeshwari succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday evening, the Ponneri police have altered the case, initially registered as an attempt to murder, to murder.
Rajeshwari sustained severe burns and was initially treated at Ponneri GH before being shifted to Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital for further treatment.
According to the police, a preliminary investigation indicated Prakash and Rajeshwari knew each other and that she had stopped communicating with him. The police suspect a dispute arising from this led to the attack.
The following day, the police traced Prakash to a location near a cremation ground in Peruncheri. When the police traced Prakash near a crematorium in Peruncheri, he allegedly attacked SI Thamilarasan with a sickle and tried to flee, leading to inspector Sivakumar shooting him in the leg.