A man murdered his wife and daughter by setting fire to a goods autorickshaw after locking them inside it and ended his life by jumping into a well at a rubber plantation near Perinthalmanna on Thursday.
The incident took place at Kondipparamba on the Perinthalmanna-Pandikkad road in the afternoon. A family quarrel between Mohammed, 52, and his wife Jasmin, 37, was feared to have led to the murder.
Mohammed was living estranged from Jasmin. Father of three children, Mohammed summoned his wife and two children to his goods autorickshaw parked in a rubber plantation near their house under the pretext of a patch-up, and set them on fire after locking them inside the autorickshaw.
Mohammed also caught fire and jumped into a nearby well when Jasmin and 11-year-old daughter Fatimat Safa died inside the goods autorickshaw. Another daughter Shifana, 5, was admitted to hospital with severe burns.
When locked up inside the autorickshaw, Jasmin reportedly called her sister and told her that their life was in danger. Jasmin’s sister saved Shifana by pulling her out, but she could not save the others.
The incident was shrouded in mystery as local people said Mohammed had triggered a blast by placing crackers and country explosives in the autorickshaw. The police said they suspected Mohammed had set fire to the vehicle after pouring petrol on it. Some explosives were recovered from the scene.
It took more than half an hour for the local people to douse the fire as the blaze and sporadic blasts repelled them. Fire and Rescue Services vehicle could not access the site easily.
Mohammed hailed from Karuvarakkundu, and was married to another woman before wedding Jasmin. The police said he had been involved in a couple of criminal cases.
Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline of Maithri - 0484-2540530, Thanal Suicide Prevention Centre - 0495-2760000 and Direction Interventions System for Health Awareness (DISHA) - 1056.
