Self-immolation: man dies of burns

A 52-year old man died of burns after he attempted self-immolation at Ambalamukku here on Wednesday.

The Peroorkada police identified the deceased as Sreekumar, who hailed from Kudappanakunnu. The incident occurred around 7 a.m. in front of the residence of his business partner Prabhullan Pillai. After dousing himself with kerosene, Sreekumar set himself on fire. He was soon rushed to the Burns Intensive Care Unit at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital with 70 per cent burns. He was declared dead by 2 p.m.,

Real estate venture

It is learnt that Sreekumar was part of a real estate venture with Prabhullan Pillai. Frustrated over having lost a huge amount of money he had invested in a property, Sreekumar met his financial partner at his home to request a share from the business revenue. With the talks breaking down, Sreekumar attempted self-immolation, the police said. “Upon questioning, Pillai claimed that he had provided Sreekumar his share of nearly Rs. 2 lakh. However, a suicide note by Sreekumar stated that he had borrowed around Rs. 38 lakh and given it to Pillai,” an official said.

The police are yet to record any arrest in the case. Further action will be taken on the basis of Sreekumar’s statement that had been recorded by the magistrate, the police said.