Chennai, November 10: A 74-year-old man set his wife ablaze after an argument over biryani at their residence in Ayanavaram on Monday. The woman hugged her husband after she was set afire and both of them succumbed to burn injuries. The incident took place on November 7 in the Ayanavaram area.

Police initially suspected that it was a suicide pact, but the dying declaration made by Padmavathy, a few hours before her death at the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital (KMCH), revealed the sequence of events, reported TOI.

Police said that retired India Railways official Karunakaran and his 65-year-old wife Padmavathi resided at the third street of Ayanavaram Tagore Nagar in the neighborhood of Chennai. The couple had two sons and two daughters. The couple was living alone in their home. The loneliness reportedly left the old couple struggling with mental illness. Tamil Nadu Shocker: Man, Wife Set Mother on Fire for Refusing to Register Property to his Name in Tirunelveli, Arrested

Padmavathy told police that around 8 pm on Monday, her husband had bought biryani from a shop and was eating alone. When she asked him why he had not bought food for her and asked him to share the Biryani, he entered into an argument with the woman. Jharkhand Shocker: Student Sets Herself on Fire in Jamshedpur After Being ‘Forced To Remove Clothes’ by Teacher

In the melee, he poured Kerosene over the woman and set her afire, according to the statement by Padmavathy to police.

The woman hugged her husband and both of them suffered burn injuries. While Padmavathy succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday night, the man died on Wednesday morning, police said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 10, 2022 12:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).