Kollam: In a shocking incident, a man murdered his wife by setting her on fire over suspicions of infidelity at Chemmammukku on Tuesday night. Police said the accused, Padmarajan (60), intercepted his wife Anila's car near the Chemmanmukku Junction, within the Kollam City East Police Station limits, at around 9 pm. He poured petrol over the car and set it ablaze.

Anila (44), who suffered severe burn injuries, died while being taken to the hospital. A young man, Sony, who was with her at the time, managed to escape with injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at Kollam District Hospital.

After committing the crime, Padmarajan reportedly hailed an autorickshaw and surrendered at the Kollam East Police Station.

A Kottiyam panchayat member familiar with the family told Manorama News that Padmarajan had been upset over Anila’s decision to open a bakery in partnership with a male friend in Asramam. “Although Padmarajan helped Anila set up the bakery, he wanted the friend out. Anila and Padmarajan had recently fought about this and asked me to mediate. I spoke to her friend, who agreed to step away if Padmarajan refunded the Rs 1.5 lakh he had invested in the bakery. Padmarajan initially denied the claim but later agreed to return the money by December 15. However, the friend insisted on continuing to visit the bakery until repayment. This led to further disagreements, and a compromise was eventually reached to settle the amount by December 10,” the person said.

The panchayat member also mentioned that Padmarajan had confronted Anila’s friend at the bakery a couple of days ago. He suspected the two were having an affair.  Sony, who works at the bakery, was with Anila when the attack occurred.

According to the police, Padmarajan had been waiting near the bakery. After Anila closed the shop for the day, he followed her car in his van. At Chemmanmukku Junction, he deliberately rammed his vehicle into hers, forcing it to stop. Without stepping out, he poured petrol over her car and set it ablaze.
Kottiyam native Padmarajan, who owns a catering business, is in police custody.