After battling for her life in the hospital for over a week, C Ramitha, 32, succumbed to burn injuries on Tuesday at AJ Hospital in Mangaluru.
Ramitha used to run a grocery shop in Mannadukkam, located in Kerala's Kasargod district, where the incident reportedly took place on April 8. Her neighbour, who also ran a furniture shop in the same neighbourhood, has been identified as the accused. Ramamrutham is a native of Tamil Nadu.
According to reports, days earlier, the victim, C Ramitha, had complained to the building owner about the accused causing trouble after getting inebriated.
Following her complaint, the building owner had asked Ramamrutham to vacate the property.
Infuriated by this, the accused reportedly poured thinner on Ramitha and set her on fire around 3:30 PM on April 8, in an act of revenge.
Ramitha, whose husband lives in Dubai and works at a restaurant, was rushed to the Kanhangad District Hospital by neighbours.
Due to the severity of her injuries, she was later shifted to AJ Hospital in Mangaluru.
The victim breathed her last while undergoing treatment on Tuesday. She had suffered over 50 per cent burns, as per reports.
After the incident, the accused attempted to flee the scene but was caught by locals and handed over to the police.
Ramamrutham was earlier booked under Section 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for attempted murder and Section 326(g) for arson by the Bedakam police.
Following the victim’s death, the police are expected to revise the charges.
