Youth sets girl afire, kills self

In a horrific incident, a PG college student allegedly stabbed a girl classmate before setting her on fire and killing himself by embracing her.

The boy, identified as A Ajeem (21), had also stabbed the girl’s 42-year-old mother when she tried to save her daughter.

Sruthi’s mother S Latha was admitted to a private hospital in a critical condition. Police said Sruthi, a resident of Thoppil Nagar at Vadavalli, and Ajeem were studying first year Master in International Business at GRD College of Science. Ajeem could have been in a one-sided affair with the girl.

“From the circumstances it appears that the boy had a smooth entry into the house by introducing himself as Sruthi’s classmate to Latha. Later, Sruthi and Ajeem have had a quarrel and he suddenly started stabbing her using a knife that he had bought with him. On hearing the screams of her daughter, Latha had tried to stop him. But Latha too became a victim of Ajeem’s attack,” said Vadavalli inspector Baskaran.

Police suspect that Ajeem might have chased Latha and repeatedly stabbed her as she was lying in the veranda of the house, while the other two were found dead in the hall of the house.“After stabbing the girl and her mother, he had poured kerosene on Sruthi and set her fire. He also killed himself by embracing the girl,” said a police officer.

The incident took place at around 6 pm on Saturday, in the victim’s house.