Kerala Man Sets House On Fire Over Property Dispute, Parents Killed In Blaze

The accused, Vijayan, who had been involved in a long-standing property dispute with his parents and siblings, was arrested shortly after the fire.

The local community has expressed outrage, particularly over the police’s delayed response to the earlier complaint of violence against the parents.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

A man allegedly set his house on fire in a property dispute leading to the death of his elderly parents in Mannar, near Thiruvalla, Kerala on Saturday morning. The victims, identified as Raghavan (96) and his wife Bharathi (86) from Chennithala village, died in the blaze.

The accused, Vijayan, who had been involved in a long-standing property dispute with his parents and siblings, was arrested shortly after the fire. He confessed to the crime, stating that his actions were driven by anger over the ongoing family dispute, as per a report on IANS. Two days prior to the incident, Vijayan had physically assaulted his parents in a heated argument over property matters, which led to a police complaint. Authorities had asked him to appear for questioning on Saturday.

According to neighbours, as per the report, the fire began early in the morning, and smoke was seen rising from the house around 3:30 a.m. Despite efforts by the locals to rescue the elderly couple, they were unable to reach them in time, as the fire had already engulfed the house. Police and fire services arrived soon after, but by then, the parents had succumbed to the flames.

"An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the incident, and further details will be disclosed later," a senior police officer said, to PTI.

Police have charged Vijayan with murder after he admitted to pouring petrol on the house and setting it on fire. Investigations are ongoing, and authorities have promised to release further details soon.

Meanwhile, the local community has expressed outrage, particularly over the police’s delayed response to the earlier complaint of violence against the parents. Neighbours and relatives noted that Vijayan had a history of aggressive behavior and had been avoiding social interactions with others.