KOCHI: A long-drawn-out marital discord had a tragic ending when a 40-year-old man ended his life after allegedly killing his wife, one-and-a-half-year-old son and mother-in-law at their rented house along Vidyanagar Road near Cusat in Kalamassery in the early hours of Sunday.
The deceased are Siji P, Thoppuveli Veettil, a native of Cherthala, wife K A Bindu, 29, a native of Pattimattam, son Sreehari and Bindu’s mother, Anandavally, 55, of Keecharachalil, Pattimattom. Siji hanged himself after setting ablaze Bindu, Sreehari and Anandavally, said cops.
They said Siji suspected his wife’s fidelity and the couple used to argue a lot over this. The duo had been living together for a few years only.
“In her dying declaration Anandavally stated the son-in-law poured diesel over them, which he had kept at the house,” said Kalamassery CI A Prasad. “Siji poured diesel over Bindu, son and Anandavally, who were sleeping on the floor, around 2 am. It is suspected he set the mother and child on fire first and the fire engulfed Anandavally who was lying nearby. Then Siji hanged himself inside the bathroom. The neighbours reached the spot on hearing the cries of Anandavally, found Bindu and the child charred to death. Anandavally, who ran out of the house sustained severe burn injuries. She was later admitted to Kalamassery Medical College Hospital but succumbed to injuries by 10 am,” said a police officer.
Siji was employed in a hotel near their residence. The family was staying in Kalamassery since March last week.
Police officers suspect Siji was in an inebriated state. “He was married to another woman and had three children from that relationship. The relatives had lodged a police complaint he was missing for a while. Siji left his residence about four years ago and had no links with his kin,” said an officer. The Kalamassery Police registered a case of unnatural death and would invoke charges of murder soon, said officers.