A 21-year-old IT engineer was doused with fuel and burnt alive at her home in Adambakkam on Monday by her former classmate after she reportedly rejected his proposal of marriage. The victim S. Indhuja’s mother, Renuka, and sister, Nivedha, who rushed to her rescue, suffered severe burns.
Police said M. Akash, 22, a resident of Velachery, had been Indhuja’s classmate in school. Akash, who dropped out of college, had been pursuing Indhuja for a few years and had proposed to her recently. As she did not respond to his overtures, he began stalking her.
On Monday night, he went to her apartment and pleaded that he be allowed to speak with her for a few minutes. When he was let in, he again proposed to her. When Indhuja turned him down, he doused her with fuel from a can he had brought with him, set her ablaze and waited till the flames engulfed her before leaving. Neighbours, who heard the screams of the women rushed to their rescue. However, Indhuja succumbed to burns.
