A 29-year-old woman set herself on fire at her home in Gowl Bazaar on Monday evening and later died on Tuesday.
The police said the woman took the extreme measure as she was unable to bear her husband’s drunken behaviour.
The Shankar Nagar police said Muthulakshmi poured kerosene and set herself on fire after her husband came home, drunk on Monday. Babu (35), a daily wage labourer, would spend whatever little he earned on consuming liquor, resulting in frequent quarrels with his wife.
On Monday evening, when Babu returned in an inebriated condition, Muthulakshmi rushed inside the kitchen, emptied a can of kerosene and set herself on fire.
Babu tried to put out the flames, but sustained severe burn injuries, the police said. The couple was taken to the burns ward of Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, where Muthulakshmi succumbed to her injuries early on Tuesday. Babu is continuing to receive treatment for his injuries.
