Kollam: Kerala has been witnessing a series of suspicious deaths of young married women over the last few days. In the latest such incident, a 34-year-old nurse was found dead at her house in Manjamankala in Punalur on Tuesday evening.

Liji John had reportedly committed suicide by setting herself ablaze with kerosene.

She is suspected to have taken her own life when she was alone in the house as her children had gone out for tuition. However, the police said that the reason behind the suicide was not clear.

Liji worked at a private hospital in Punalur while her husband, also a nurse, was employed by another hospital in Kollam.

“We have inspected the scene of the incident and will collect detailed statements of the family members,” said an officer attached to the Punalur Police Station.

As reported earlier two other married women, Akhila (29) and Suchitra (19) had committed suicide in Alapuzha district on Tuesday. They were found hanging at their houses in Vadackal and Vallikunnu villages.

Another woman, Archana (24) died on Tuesday after she was found ablaze at her rented house at Venganoor in Thiruvananthapuram district. Her husband Suresh was seen fleeing from the spot. A probe is on to ascertain if this too was a suicide. Archana's mother Molly claimed Suresh's family had been pressing them for money and a share in property.

These four tragic deaths of four young women on the same day followed a day after the suicide of another married woman, Vismaya Nair (24), in Sasthamkotta following alleged torture by her husband over dowry.

(Suicide is not a solution to any problem. Seek the help of a psychiatrist, if needed. Helpline numbers: 1056, 0471- 2552056)