Kerala cop who burnt alive woman colleague dies

Ajaz had suffered over 50 per cent burns while setting Soumya on fire

ajaz-soumya-murder

The accused in a brutal killing of a woman police officer that shook Kerala last week died at a hospital in Alappuzha on Wednesday. N.A. Ajaz, a policeman who hacked and set ablaze his woman colleague Soumya Pushpakaran in broad daylight on Saturday, succumbed to his own burn injuries at the medical college hospital around 6 pm.

Ajaz had suffered over 50 per cent burns while setting 34-year-old Soumya on fire.

According to police, Soumya was killed on her way back home in Mavelikkara on Saturday evening when Ajaz followed her in a car and knocked down her two-wheeler. The policeman then allegedly hacked her with a sharp weapon and as she tried to seek refuge at a nearby house, he chased, poured petrol over her and set her ablaze.

She died on the spot while the policeman, who also suffered burn injuries, was taken into custody. He was later admitted to the government medical college hospital in Alappuzha.

Meanwhile, Ajaz was suspended by the Ernakulam rural district police chief K. Karthik.

Police had said the motive behind the killing could be ascertained only after detailed interrogation of the accused and others. However, Soumya's mother told the investigating officers that Ajaz had been insisting her daughter to marry him though she was already married and had three children. 

According to local media reports, Soumya's husband Sajeev, who works in Libya, will reach home on Wednesday night and her funeral will be held on Thursday.

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