Thiruvalla girl who was set on fire by spurned lover succumbs to injuries

Thiruvalla: An 18-year-old girl who was allegedly set ablaze by a youth for rejecting his marriage proposal succumbed to injuries. The girl, who hailed from Ayirur, suffered severe burns and was admitted to a private hospital in Kottayam on March 12.

The accused, identified as Ajin Reji Mathew, a native of Kumbanad in Thiruvalla, has been arrested.  The victim is a BSc student who studied in a private institution. As per sources, the accused had proposed to the girl when she was studying in Class 12. The accused approached the girl's family seeking their approval, but her parents rejected him too.

On March 12, Mathew set the girl on fire when she was standing at a bus stop. The accused allegedly doused her with petrol and set her ablaze. Bystanders rushed to her rescue and took her to hospital. Mathew was handed over to police.