Man who sets wife on fire gets life imprisonment

Officials said that Suresh (27), son of Manoharan of Kurumbur near Natrampalli working as a driver in Bengaluru, married Priya (23), daughter of Murugan of Tirupatthur, in 2013.

There were frequent quarrels between the couple, as Priya refused to accede to her husband’s wish to move to Bengaluru. Police said he was also a drunkard. When Priya’s parents were away from their house on February 2, 2014, Suresh came to the house and demanded that she come with him to Bengaluru to live with him. When she refused heed to his repeated requests, Suresh became enraged. He poured kerosene on her and set her afire, police said.

Hearing her screams, neighbours rushed to her rescue and took her to the Tirupatthur government hospital. But she succumbed on the way. Priya’s mother Murugammal complained to the Tirupatthur town police who registered a case and arrested Suresh and took up the case in the Vellore mahila court.

Judge Selvam sentenced Suresh to life imprisonment and also slapped a fine of  Rs 2,000 on him. Following the verdict, Suresh was jailed in the Vellore Central Prison.