22-year-old girl burnt alive at home by ex-classmate

Chennai: In a shocking incident, a 22-year-old girl was burnt alive at her residence in Adambakkam near here on Monday night by a man known to her family after she refused to reciprocate his love.

Victim’s mother Renuka and younger sister Nivedita, who tried to save her, are in hospital. Her mother suffered burns and her sister is in the ICU.

The accused Akash (25) who tried to escape was arrested by the police on Tuesday morning. Akash, a college dropout, is known to the victim’s family as he lives in the same locality, police said.

When Sindhuja rejected Akash’s love proposal, he continued his one-sided love and to stalk wherever she goes, the police said, adding that Sindhuja, a BE graduate, quit her job a few days back as she was continuously stalked by him. When her parents started looking for an alliance, Akash who came to know about it got furious and threatened her with dire consequences.

Last night, around 8:45 pm, the man went to Induja’s home and demanded to speak to her but the family refused to let him in.
 

According to the police, he splashed petrol on Induja and used a lighter to set her on fire.

Induja’s father was not at home at the time.

Neighbours, hearing cries, rushed to help the family and took them to the hospital.

Some neighbours claim the ambulance arrived 40 minutes later.

 “It all happened in a matter of few minutes. As I heard loud noises, I came out to see what is happening. I thought they were arguing with themselves. Suddenly a young man came with a petrol can and poured it on Sindhuja. As her mother asked me to take him out, I was pushing him out of the house when he suddenly set her on fire,” the neighbour said.

This is the third such incident in the last four years. A few years ago, a young woman was killed at her work place when she was attacked with acid by a man she had turned down. Another young woman techie was killed in an acid attack by a man she had rejected.