Mentally Challenged Woman Dies After Alcoholic Father Sets Her, Mother On Fire

A man doused petrol on his sleeping wife and mentally challenged daughter before setting them ablaze on Sunday, Aug. 15, police said.

According to the police, the suspect, identified as Srinivasa Reddy, a daily wage laborer, was addicted to alcohol.

He would often come home drunk and physically abuse his wife, Suseela, and their 28-year-old daughter, Priyanka, police said. Priyanka was born with a mental disability and was undergoing treatment for the same.

He picked up fights with his wife whenever she refused to give him money to buy alcohol. Suseela, who is also a daily wage laborer, used to save up whatever money she got for her daughter's treatment.

The suspect also reportedly suspected his wife's fidelity.

On Saturday, the suspect demanded money from his wife to buy alcohol. When she refused, the suspect got into a heated argument with his wife and threatened to kill himself by hanging, police said.

He stormed out of the house when he noticed that his wife or daughter made no attempts to stop him.

Later, in the wee hours of Sunday, Reddy came home with a can of petrol and emptied it on his wife and daughter, who were asleep, before setting them on fire.

The victims’ screams alerted the neighbors and they rushed into the house. The suspect had fled the scene by then, police said.

The neighbors put out the fire and reported the incident to the police.

The Kandukur Rural Police officers responded to the home and transported the victims to a local government hospital. They were later referred to which Ongole GGH hospital, where the investigators recorded the statements of both the victims.

However, Priyanka succumbed to her injuries, a while later. Her mother is being treated for her burn injuries and was reported to be in critical condition.

The police have registered a case based on the victims’ statements and a manhunt has been initiated to locate and nabe the absconding suspect.

"We have deployed police search parties to arrest the absconding accused. The Ongole Magistrate has recorded the statements of both the victims. We have booked a case and investigation is on," Sub-Inspector of Police, Ankamma Rao told the Indian Express.