A 29-year-old man set himself ablaze and ran into a house where the 26-year-old woman he had been pursuing, and her mother lived, killing all of them in the process.
The incident took place in the early hours of Friday, at the woman’s house, located in Anandanayagi Nagar, Korukkupet, police said.
The man was identified as Bhoopalan, 29, a B. Tech graduate, and was reportedly in love with the deceased Rajitha, 26 for the last seven years.
Rajitha had recently got an appointment for a job at the Chennai Corporation, on compassionate grounds, after her father died. After she joined work, she is said to have distanced herself from him. She was engaged to another man. However Bhoopalan kept compelling her to marry him, much to her annoyance.
Police said at 4 a.m., Bhoopalan came to Rajitha’s house and locked it. He set himself, Rajitha and her mother Venkattama, 46, ablaze. All three were burnt to death. Neighbours who heard the cries rushed to the house and found three charred bodies.
On information, police personnel from R.K. Nagar reached the spot and conducted an investigation. The bodies were sent to a government hospital for post-mortems.
(Those in distress may contact the State’s health helpline 104 or Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050 for counselling)
