VIRUDHUNAGAR: A 55-year-old man set his second wife, her mother-in-law from the first marriage and her two children ablaze while they were asleep following a dispute over a compensation of Rs 11 lakh.
While the woman’s mother-in-law, identified as Sikander Bivi, died of burn injuries, four others, including the suspect, Akbar Ali, residing at Muslim Odaitheru near a mosque in Sivakasi, are undergoing treatment at Sivakasi Government Hospital.
The police said Akbar Ali used to frequently quarrel with his second wife Syed Ali Fathima (35), whom he married a few years ago, over the compensation which was allotted to Fathima and her children — Parveen Banu (18), now a class 11 student, and Syed Farooq (16), studying in class 10 now — following the death of her first husband, Mubarak Ali, in a road accident in Aruppukkottai in 2017.
Akbar Ali, on Tuesday, allegedly entered the house with a petrol can, poured petrol on Fathima, Sikander Bivi, and the two children while they were asleep, and set them on fire.
Police said Syed Ali Fathima had planned to deposit the amount in her children’s bank accounts. However, Akbar Ali was allegedly against it and demanded that the money be handed over to him, leading to frequent domestic disputes.
Last month, during one such quarrel, Akbar Ali allegedly attacked his wife with a machete, causing injuries. A case was registered at the Sivakasi Town Police Station, and he was arrested and released on bail a few days ago.
The police said recently Akbar Ali started pressurising Fatima for money after coming to know that the compensation amount would be disbursed soon.
Speaking to the TNIE, Superintendent of Police D Kannan said earlier too, Akbar Ali had attacked his wife, adding all the injured are in critical condition except the 18-year-old girl, who sustained around 30% burn injuries.