Labourer P. Esakkimuthu, 28, of Kasidharmam in the district, who set himself, his wife and two daughters ablaze inside the collectorate on Monday, succumbed to his burns at the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
“The end came at 1.10 p.m. after the victim suffered a multiple organ failure,” a doctor in the TVMCH said.
With the demise of Esakkimuthu, all the four victims of the gruesome suicide bid – wife Subbulakshmi, 25, and daughters Mathi Saranya, 4, and Akshaya Bharanitha, 18 months – have perished.
Alleging harassment by usurer Muthulakshmi for the loan of ₹1.45 lakh he had availed, Esakkimuthu poured kerosene on his wife and the children and set them on fire besides attempting to kill himself in similar fashion in front of the District Development Council Hall even as the weekly grievance redressal meet was going on.
Kin block traffic
While the victim’s relative accused the police of supporting the usurers and portraying Esakkimuthu as a debt-ridden labourer, the police came out with evidence to support their claim that it was the accumulated debt and not usury that had driven him to death.
The victim’s younger brother P. Gopi, who has been accusing the police of helping the usurer by harassing his brother ever since the ghastly incident took place on the Collectorate premises, and his father Palavesam, blocked vehicular traffic in front of the TVMCH immediately after the doctors declared the demise of Esakkimuthu.
“The Superintendent of Police is attempting to bury the facts by portraying my brother as a wilful defaulter. Let him show the properties he [Esakkimuthu] owned at Kasidharmam. We’ll not accept the body,” Mr. Gopi shouted even as he was being whisked away along with his father by the police.
Even as the local office-bearers of a few political parties came to the Palayamkottai police station in support of Mr. Gopi, Assistant Commissioner, Palayamkottai, Vijayakumar held talks with him and he agreed to accept the body, which was handed over to him around 5.15 p.m. after the post-mortem. The body was cremated at Sindhupoondurai crematorium around 6 p.m. amidst police protection.
Meanwhile, law student Nandini, who is protesting against liquor and a few Central-sponsored projects in Tamil Nadu, was arrested along with her father Ananthan when they staged dharna at the Collectorate demanding action against the police officials and the Collector for “not taking action” on the petitions submitted by Esakkimuthu.
Anticipating more untoward incidents at the Collectorate, the police have kept fire-fighting equipment and have stationed a mini fire tender on the premises.