In a macabre incident that shocked Kerala on Thursday, a fish vendor by name Mohammed murdered his wife Jasmine and four year old daughter Fatima Zafa by setting ablaze the auto rickshaw in which they were to travel and committed suicide by jumping into a nearby well.
Though the elder son of the Mohammeds was present in the auto rickshaw, he was pulled out of the burning vehicle by bystanders and rushed to a private hospital where his condition remains serious. Police, which rushed to the spot found to their horror that Mohammed has stuffed the auto rickshaw with explosives. “He locked the cabin-auto from outside to make sure that none of the family came out of the burning vehicle,” said the inspector. Neighbours said that Mohammed had married another woman recently much against the wish of Jasmine and this has vitiated the relations. Jasmine and her children had returned to their ancestral home.
Mohammed reached Jasmine’s home and persuaded her to return to their house with him and assured her that he had no relations with other women. This made Jasmine to return with him when all in a sudden Mohammed locked her and the children inside the auto and set ablaze explosives laden auto. Mohammed is also facing trial as main accused in a POCSO case.