PALAKKAD: A minor girl and a youth who were found with severe burns at the latter’s house in Kollengode East died at a hospital in Kochi on Sunday. The police suspect it to be a case of suicide. Dhanya, 16, daughter of Selvakumar of Pavadi, had gone to the house of Subramanian, 24, son of Ramesh of Kollengode East, at 7am after telling her family members that she was going for tuition, said an officer with the Kollengode police.
Sunday was also Subramanian’s birthday. It is learnt that the two were in love. Initially, they were neighbours but now their houses were a few kilometres apart. The two families initially opposed their relationship as the girl was a minor, the officer said. After the incident, Dhanya’s family told reporters that they were ready to let her marry Subramanian once she became a major and that both families had agreed to their marriage after three years.
While the police are yet to get the full details of the incident, the girl’s family has not blamed the youth or his family members, according to local residents. At the time of the incident, Subramanian’s mother, Radha, and his younger brother, Ganesh, were at home. Radha was in the backyard of the house. Only when fire began to engulf their house, with smoke billowing, did they realise the gravity of the situation. Assisted by the local people, they put out the fire and took the duo to the hospital.
According to eyewitnesses, if Subramanian had set Dhanya ablaze, as rumoured, she would have shouted for help and would have been the first to run out of the house. But when the local residents broke into the room, it was Subramanian who walked out of the room first, followed by Dhanya, said an eyewitness. They both walked and boarded the ambulance on their own, though they had suffered 75% burns, the local resident said.
The two were first taken to a hospital in Kollengode, and later to Nenmara and Thrissur before being taken to Kochi. They died by afternoon, the police officer said. Dhanya was a Plus One student of the BSS Higher Secondary School in Alathur. Subramanian is survived by his mother Radha and brother Ganesh. Dhanya is survived by her mother Amrutha and brother Rahul.