Kerala: Spurned lover sets girl ablaze in Thiruvalla; youth held

Thiruvalla: An 18-year-old girl was set ablaze in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, by a youth for allegedly rejecting his marriage proposal. The girl, hailing from Ayirur, suffered serious burn injuries in the incident, and has been admitted to a private hospital in Kottayam.

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

On March 12, the girl was set on fire by Mathew when she was standing in the bus stop. The accused came to the bus stop and poured petrol on her and set her ablaze. The locals rushed to her rescue and took her to the hospital. Mathew was handed over to the police by the locals.