Kerala Woman Set Ablaze by Stalker Succumbs to Injuries

Kavitha sustained 65% burn injuries in a brutal attack after Ajin Reji Mathew emptied two bottles of petrol on her.

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

As Kavitha Vijaykumar lay in her bed at the Ernakulam Medical Centre, her family had earnestly hoped that she would somehow survive the brutal attack on her. But their hopes came crashing down on Wednesday, 20 March, as the 20-year-old succumbed to her burn injuries.

A week ago, she was set on fire by her stalker in Pathanamthitta district. Confirming her death, an official at the hospital told TNM, “She passed away at 6 pm. Her body will be sent for a postmortem on Thursday.”

On 12 March, 18-year-old Ajin Reji Mathew emptied two bottles of petrol on Kavitha in broad daylight in Tiruvalla. She sustained 65 percent burn injuries in the brutal attack and was shifted to the hospital in Kochi the same evening. However, her condition continued to worsen.

The victim was a BSc student at the Tata Institute of Medical Sciences. The incident took place when she was on her way to college.

Soon after the incident, when Ajin tried to flee from the scene, the bystanders managed to catch him and handed him over to the police.

Meanwhile, some others managed to douse the fire and rushed Kavitha to hospital.

During questioning, the accused gave a statement claiming that they both were in a relationship, said the police. However, they could not verify this then. He was arrested on 13 March for attempted murder. Reports had stated that the victim and her family had rejected a marriage proposal from the accused, following which the incident took place.

Kavitha's family had told TNM that although Kavitha tried to inform them about her stalker, they had not taken it seriously at the time.

(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute)