Dispute over family property: Man sets son and family on fire in Thodupuzha

Thodupuzha: In a gruesome incident, a man killed his son and family by dousing petrol over them and setting them ablaze. The incident took place at 12.30 am on Saturday in Cheenikuzhy in Thodupuzha. The police have arrested Faisal’s father Hameed (79) for homicide. 

It is believed that the man committed this heinous act due to conflicts over family property and assets. Abdul Faisal (45), wife Sheeba (45), daughters Mehar (16) and Afsana (14) were identified as the deceased. 

It is believed that Hameed set the family on fire while they were sleeping. It is also hinted that he emptied the water stored in tanks in his house and neighbouring houses. The locals who rushed to the scene doused the fire. They came to know about the incident after hearing screams from Faisal’s house around midnight. When the neighbours rushed to the scene, they saw smoke and fire rising from the house. The front door of the house was found to be locked. They pushed down this door and entered the house but found Faisal’s room was locked from outside. By the time the locals broke into the bedroom, it was filled with smoke from the burning bed. 

One of the neighbours who was present there at the time said that Hameed was hurling bottles filled with petrol into the house even then. 

Faisal and his family are believed to have gone inside the bathroom, locked themselves to escape from the fire and found themselves trapped inside as the bedroom was filled with smoke and fire. The locals could not save them even after they broke the bedroom door. Witnesses said that all four were killed while they were inside the bathroom.