Chennai: Teen girl, fianc© held for burning man alive

Chennai: A day after a 40-year-old man was burnt alive in his residence-cum-shop in Chennai, police have arrested a 19-year-old girl and her fiancé in connection with the murder on Thursday.

The arrested were identified as Raniya Banu (19) of Raja Street in Alandur and Imamuddin (21) of Kottaipattinam in Pudukottai district. Imamuddin is staying in Alandur and works in a rice shop. While Raniya was held in the city, Imanuddin was arrested from Pudukottai.

According to the police, the deceased Mohammad Sultan (40) was a bachelor and residing alone in his residence-cum-shop on MKN Road in Alandur. On Wednesday evening, the neighbours noticed smoke from his residence and informed fire and rescue personnel and St Thomas Mount police. When the police and firemen arrived to break the door, they found the charred body of Sultan gagged and tied. The police registered a case and were investigating.

“As there are no CCTV cameras in the locality, the police could not ascertain the identity of the murderer until the police came to know that Raniya Banu was working as a maid in Sultan’s house,” the sources said. The police questioned Banu, who visits Sultan’s place daily to clean in the mornings.

Meanwhile, the residents informed the spotting of Imamuddin in the locality at the time of the incident to the police leading to grilling of the girl. “The girl confessed and told that Sultan had been pestering to do ‘favours’ to him which she refused. She also complained about this to her fiancé, who unsuccessfully warned Sultan to keep the distance from his fiancée,” the police told.

Infuriated by this, Imanuddin, entered Sultan’s house, poured petrol on him before setting him on fire. The police will bring Imanuddin to the city and investigate whether Imanuddin alone managed to subdue well-built Sultan or was helped by others.