40-year-old immolates his mother for failing to find bride for him

Chennai: A forty-year-old man killed his mother by setting her on fire at their residence in Arumbakkam, a locality in Chennai.

According to a report, D Amarnath Prasad, who is a cab driver, was arrested by the police on Sunday on murder charges and confessed to his crime during the investigation. Prasad told the officials that he murdered his 60-year-old mother because she failed to find a wife for him.

Police said that Prasad was an alcoholic who would often come home late at night from work and squabble with his ailing mother Sasikala. The woman was almost crippled due to a leg injury and could barely hobble around the house and was mostly restricted to her bed.

On late Saturday night, Prasad had a heated argument with his mother for not being able to get him married to a suitable woman. He then tied her to a chair and set her on fire.

It was their neighbours who heard Sasikala desperately crying out for help at 5.30 am on Sunday morning.  They rushed to the house and rescued her, but she had already suffered sever burn injuries by then.

The neighbours admitted her to the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital in the city. Sasikala had sustained close to 70% burn injuries and succumbed to them on Sunday noon.

However, the police was able to record her statement before her death and she confirmed that it was her son who set her ablaze.

"Sasikala lived with her son Prasad and her younger sister, a spinster," an officer was quoted in the report.

A local court has sent Prasad to jail for his horrifying crime.