A drunk man set his two sons on fire before setting himself ablaze at Anjananagar in Thalaghattapura on the outskirts of the city on Sunday. While the two-year-old son Preetham Sai succumbed to his injuries, Srinivasa Murthy (38) and his elder son Chetan Sai (5) are said to be in a critical condition with 60% burns. 

Murthy decided to take the extreme step to teach his wife a lesson for leaving him for his alcoholism and harassment.

A senior police officer said Murthy, an electrician, hails from Mysore and migrated to the city after marrying Premalatha six years ago.

Fight with wife

It is said that Murthy would return home drunk every day and fight with his wife.

Upset over his behaviour, she left him with her two sons and lived with her parents in Thyagaraja Nagar and worked as a housekeeper at an apartment in CK Achukattu.

When Murthy created a ruckus in front of her parents’ house under the influence of alcohol forcing Premalatha to return, she filed a complaint with the CK Achukattu police. The police warned him to stay away from her and his kids. 

After the incident, Murthy decided to take revenge against her. On Saturday, he visited the in-laws’ house when she was at work and convinced his mother-in-law, Jayanthi, to send the two children with him.

Though Jayanthi initially refused him, she gave in after he turned emotional. He promised that he would bring them back by evening.

Murthy, however, took his children to his house only around 9 pm. After the kids slept he was drinking the whole night and around 3.30 am he poured kerosene on them and set them afire before setting himself ablaze.

Neighbours who heard the screams of the children rushed to the house and took them to Victoria Hospital.