CHENNAI: A 36-year-old man has been arrested by the Maraimalai Nagar police for allegedly killing his four-month pregnant wife by setting her on fire on Thursday. The police said the incident was the fallout of an argument that the couple had over the man’s drinking habit. The woman succumbed to her injuries at hospital. The suspect, Rajkumar of Govindapuram near Maraimalai, who is unemployed, was arrested and later remanded in judicial custody.
According to police, Rajkumar got married to Nandini seven years ago when they were neighbours in Manali. They moved to Maraimalai Nagar more than a year ago, and the couple has a six-year-old son.
A senior police officer said, “On Thursday morning too, Nandhini found her husband drunk. This led to an argument between the duo. When the argument heated up, Rajkumar kicked her, injuring her hands and legs severely. In a fit of rage, he poured kerosene over her when she was lying on the ground, and set her afire. Rajkumar then fled the scene.”
Hearing Nandhini’s screams, neighbours rushed inside the house and found engulfed in flames. The police sent Nandhini, who sustained 90 % burns, to a government hospital for treatment. However, later in the day, she succumbed to her injuries. The body was then sent for postmortem. A case was registered, and on Thursday evening, the police arrested Rajkumar. After an inquiry, he was sent for judicial remand on Friday.