A 49-year-old man was found charred to death inside a burnt car at Thayankary, near Edathua, in Kuttanad on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Jameskutty George of Edathua. The police said that they suspect it to be a case of suicide.
The incident happened around 3.30 a.m. A local resident who found the car on fire immediately informed other people in the locality and subsequently called the police control room. The Edathua police then contacted the nearest fire station. Fire and Rescue Services personnel rushed to the spot and doused the blaze around 4 a.m.
Officials said the body was charred beyond recognition and it took several hours to identify the victim. The deceased reportedly poured inflammable liquid on himself and set himself afire.
The burnt car belonged to Jameskutty. Sources said that family issues had forced him to take the extreme step. He reportedly destroyed certificates of his children and other documents and sent a voice message to a friend before ending his life.
The police said that they had registered a missing person case based on a complaint. “Jameskutty left his house in the car on Friday night. He later sent a voice message to a policeman that he was going to take the extreme step. We are currently treating it as a case of suspected suicide. We are awaiting post-mortem and forensic reports to draw a final conclusion,” said an official.
(People in distress or having suicidal thoughts can seek counselling by calling the suicide prevention helpline number: DISHA- 0471-2552056, 1056)
