KOCHI: A man was allegedly attacked and set ablaze by a group of four persons following a dispute over abusive phone calls in Piravom in Ernakulam district in the early hours of Thursday.
According to the FIR registered by the Piravom police, the incident took place between 12.15 am and 1.30 am on Thursday, near Kochu Pally Ground on Sneha Bhavan Road, Piravom. The police received information about the incident at 7.45 am.
The victim has been identified as Arun Prakash, a resident of Kakkad in Piravom. According to the police, the first accused, Jishnu, along with three others, allegedly targeted Arun over his alleged use of abusive language during phone calls to the family members of the first accused. The four allegedly acted with the intention of causing his death, according to the complaint.
As per the FIR, Arun was speaking to a friend near Kochu Pally Ground when the accused allegedly called him over the phone and asked him to come to Sneha Bhavan Road. After Arun reached the spot, the accused allegedly confronted him over the phone calls.
The FIR alleges that the first accused, who was carrying a plastic cup containing petrol, threatened Arun and abused him. He allegedly told Arun that he would set him on fire after accusing him of making abusive calls. The accused then allegedly poured the petrol over Arun's body.
The other three accused allegedly encouraged the first accused to attack Arun, with the FIR stating that they told him to kill Arun and that he should be cut down. Following this, the first accused allegedly used a lighter to set Arun's body on fire. The victim suffered serious burn injuries across his body.
The FIR names Jishnu, Chandanu and Salbarin, along with a fourth person described as an identifiable person, as accused in the case.
The injured Arun was subsequently taken to Kottayam Medical College Hospital.
The Piravom police registered FIR under Sections 296(b), 351(3), 109(1), 124(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.