Chennai Family Burnt by Stalker Faces Another Loss as Mother Dies

Induja’s mother Renuka (43) also succumbed to the injuries she sustained trying to save her daughter.

The family of Induja, the 22-year-old Chennai woman burnt alive by her stalker, suffered a second loss on Tuesday. Induja's mother Renuka (43) also succumbed to the injuries that she sustained trying to save her daughter.

On 13 November, Aakash, who had been Induja’s schoolmate, entered her house in Divya Varshini apartments at Velachery and got into a squabble.

After a battle of words with Induja and her mother, Aakash stepped outside and returned with a can of fuel that he had kept just outside the house. He then set Induja on fire. Her mother, Renuka and her younger sister Nivedha (20), who tried to save the victim, also suffered burn injuries. Induja's relatives told the police and media that Aakash had been stalking Induja and became angry when she rejected his advances.

While Induja had passed away even before she could be taken to hospital, Renuka and Nivedha were admitted to the burns treatment unit at the Kilpauk Medical College in the city.

During admission, Renuka had suffered 49 percent burns and Nivedha had 23 percent burns. They were both critical. They had later been shifted to Apollo Hospital in Vanagaram.

Raja Senthil, Induja's father's cousin told TNM that Renuka died around 6:10 pm on Tuesday evening. He also said that Nivedha was stable.

Aakash was arrested by Chennai police on 14 November.

The Incident

It was a day when Induja’s father was out of the country for work. When Aakash insisted on meeting Induja, her younger brother Manoj was at the terrace.

Raghu, a neighbour, had told TNM:

Manoj had told me that Aakash had come to the house with a can of petrol and had kept it near the shoe rack. And after he had an argument with the family, he came out, took the can and poured it on the girl.

While Induja was fully charred, Renuka had a cut on her face, the younger daughter had injury on her one hand and her legs were burnt.

(This article was originally published in The News Minute.)

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