Ex-serviceman sets elderly couple on fire; both die

Thiruvananthapuram: In a shocking incident, a 75-year-old ex-serviceman barged into the house of an elderly couple and set them ablaze at Madavoor here on Saturday morning.
While Prabhakara Kurup (67) of Kochalummoodu at Madavoor died at the spot, his wife Vimaladevi (64) succumbed to burns at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (TMCH).
The accused, Sasidharan Nair of Eenthannoor House at Panappamkunnu in Kilimanoor, is undergoing treatment at TMCH with 50% burn injuries.
Police said Kurup and Nair were friends and neighbours till 26 years ago. Nearly three-decades-long personal vendetta ended up in the murder. In 1996, Kurup had taken Nair’s son to Bahrain by offering him a job. However, Nair’s son committed suicide a couple of days later as he could not find a job. Nair believed that Kurup had a role in the suicide. Unable to bear the pain, Nair’s daughter also ended her life and it fuelled his vengeance against Kurup. Following the incident, Nair used to quarrel with him and destroy his properties. Due to this, Kurup moved to Madavoor from Panappamkunnu in 1997.
He moved court against Kurup over his son’s death in 1998.
The decades-old legal battle finally ended on Friday as the court acquitted Kurup from the charges.
Annoyed by this, Nair went to his house with a hammer and two bottles of petrol in a cover. Using a hammer, he hit Kurup and later poured petrol on him.
Seeing this, his wife tried to rescue him and kerosene fell on her as well. When Nair set them ablaze, Kurup held him tightly and he was also injured, police said.
Hearing the woman’s scream, people in a shop nearby rushed to the house. Kurup and his wife were found lying on the floor with faces down.
Kurup died at the spot and was taken to Parippally Medical College Hospital, police said.
Pallickal police have registered a case against Nair under Section 302 of IPC for murder.