The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Auto driver sets girl child ablaze

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Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Auto driver sets girl child ablaze

Special Correspondent

“It appears that he set the girl on fire, irritated over her crying continuously”

CHENNAI: In a bizarre incident, an autorickshaw driver set on fire a little girl to punish her for disturbing him by crying unendingly.

According to police, A. Amudha (20), who was separated from her husband, had developed a relationship with the autorickshaw driver, Murugesan (35), of Velachery. On Sunday night, both were seated in the autorickshaw at an isolated place with the woman’s daughter, S. Dhanam (4) in the front seat.

The girl started crying, probably out of hunger. Murugesan who was with the woman in the back seat tried to calm her down. When the girl cried unstoppably, he pushed her out, poured petrol from a bottle and set her ablaze.

The incident occurred near Teynampet and some people saw the girl crying for help and running on the road with fire on her head and back. A fireman, Elangovan, who also saw the victim, alerted the Police Control Room. The girl was admitted to Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital, where she succumbed early on Monday.

“We have arrested Murugesan, who has confessed to having committed the offence”, said A.G. Mourya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Mylapore).

“The driver also threw the woman out of the autorickshaw at another place. It appears that he set the girl on fire irritated over her crying continuously,” the Deputy Commissioner of Police added.

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