Financial dispute drives 43-year-old lottery vendor to suicide in Kochi's Maradu

The timely intervention of fire and rescue officials helped the furniture shop owner Suneer's family to escape the fire. The deceased reportedly had a financial dispute with Suneer. 
Representational Photo
Representational Photo

KOCHI: A 43-year-old man allegedly died by suicide inside a furniture shop by setting himself on fire near Maradu on Tuesday.
 
Prasannan, a native of Maradu, allegedly ended his life following a financial issue with Suneer, the owner of the shop, police said. The incident took place around 6 in the morning. The furniture shop, which functions on the ground floor of Suneer's house, was completely gutted in the fire. Prasannan is said to have set himself on fire by pouring gasoline on himself.
 
Meanwhile, the timely intervention of fire and rescue officials helped Suneer's family to escape the fire. "Suneer, along with his wife and two children, were trapped on the first floor of the house. When the fire started engulfing the shop, they moved to a toilet on the first floor to save themselves from the heat. We rescued them from the bathroom using the ladder," said a fire officer of Trippunithura fire station, who, along with the personnel from the Gandhi Nagar fire station, carried out the rescue mission. It took nearly an hour for the team to completely bring the situation under control.
 
The police said they also received information that Prasannan, who was working as a lottery vendor, had some financial disputes with the furniture shop owner. "We learn that he went inside the shop with a fuel can. As per the preliminary investigation, it is a case of suicide. So far, we haven't found any other details that lead us to believe otherwise. But we need to investigate more to reach a conclusion," said the station house officer of Maradu police station where the case has been registered.

Prasannan's body has been kept at Tripunithura Taluk Hospital. 

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)

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