A 45-year-old man died after allegedly setting himself on fire inside his car in Wayanad district on Thursday night, in a deeply distressing incident that left his wife critically injured and his three children narrowly escaping.
The deceased has been identified as M.P. Sajir (45), a native of Iritty, who had been living with his family in Kutta, where he was engaged in business.
Children escape as locals rush to help
The incident occurred at Erumatheru, near Maruti Theatre, in front of a businessman’s residence. Police said Sajir allegedly set himself ablaze while seated inside the car. His wife, Najmunnisa, and their three children — Nibran, Nisan and Ayesha — were also inside the vehicle at the time.
As the fire broke out, the children managed to escape from the car and raise an alarm. Local residents rushed to the scene and rescued them. Ayesha sustained minor injuries.
Wife suffers severe burns, shifted to Kozhikode
Najmunnisa, who sustained more than 50 per cent burn injuries, was initially taken to Wayanad Government Medical College Hospital and later shifted to the ICU at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. Sajir could not be rescued and died at the scene.
Video message surfaces, investigation underway
Mananthavady Police have registered a case of unnatural death and launched an investigation under Principal Sub-Inspector M.C. Pavanan. During inspection, police recovered two cans of petrol from the car.
A video message recorded by Sajir, allegedly explaining the reason behind his act, surfaced after his death. While the video mentions certain individuals, police said no case has been registered against anyone so far. Forensic teams collected evidence, and police are attempting to record Najmunnisa’s statement once her condition stabilises.
The body was handed over to relatives after post-mortem on Friday evening.