Coimbatore: Youth kills lover by setting her, self on fire

Coimbatore, Sep 23: A youth set his 20-year-old lover and himself on fire after repeatedly

the girl's mother at Thoppil Nagar in Vadavally here yesterday.

Police said that Azeem Ajmal (21), son of Ayoob and resident of Kalapatti, reached the palatial house of his classmate Sruthi Menon sometime after 4 p.m on Sep 22.

The latter's mother Latha (48) allowed him to talk to Sruthi but heard loud screams a short while later. She entered the drawing room and found that Azeem was attacking Sruthi with a knife.

When Latha tried to save her daughter, Azeem stabbed Latha too before dragging a badly injured Sruthi to the nearby sofa and dousing her with kerosene. He then poured the remaining kerosene in the can over himself and set afire both of them.

Sruthi's grandfather BB Menon was in another portion of the house at that time. Though he was disturbed by the commotion, the octogenarian stayed in his room as he has difficulty in walking.

Since it is a habit of his to have coffee in the evening, Mr Menon waited for the same. On seeing that Latha was not responding to his call even though it was well past 5 p.m, he finally went to the drawing room and saw the bodies of Sruthi as well as Azeem lying beside the sofa.

The police was immediately informed. Latha was rushed to a private hospital. According to doctors, she was stabbed at least nine times and is yet to emerge from coma.

Investigations are on. Forensic experts have already visited the crime scene. Perur DSP Shanmugham and Vadavally Inspector V Bhaskar accompanied them.

Police are trying to find out from Azeem's friends whether he had told them anything about his relationship with Sruthi who hailed from Palakkad in Kerala.

The two deceased, post graduate students of GRD College of Arts and Science, had together pursued Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) at PSG College.

Sruthi was a first year student of Master of International Business. Her father Rajiv Menon is a Delhi-based realtor.

OneIndia News