Man Sets Wife's Maternal Home On Fire After Dispute: Are Women Safe Anywhere?

A woman, her four-month-old daughter, and her eight-month-old nephew were burned to death after her brother-in-law set them on fire following a domestic quarrel with his wife. The horrific incident took place in a village near Cuddalore Old Town, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday. The man who lit the fire, the deceased woman’s younger sister, and her mother sustained severe burns and are battling for their lives at Cuddalore Government General Hospital. It is terrifying that men who can’t take no for an answer go to the extent of chasing women to their safe place to hurt them. If home is no longer a safe place for women, where can they go?

The deceased woman has been identified as P. Tamilarasi, 27, of Sellankuppam, along with her four-month-old daughter P. Hasini and eight-month-old nephew S. Rakshan. Her sister S. Dhanalakshmi, 25, of Chidambaram, their mother Selvi, 50, of Devanampattinam, and her brother-in-law, the man who lit the fire as Sarguru (Dhanalakshmi's husband), were among those injured.

Woman And Two Kids Burned To Death

Dhanalakshmi and Sarguru were married for the past two years and had an eight-month-old baby, Rakshan. The couple used to frequently argue over misunderstandings. Dhanalakshmi finally decided to leave her husband and move to her elder sister’s house with her eight-month-old son. A couple of days ago, she went to her sister’s house in Cuddalore old town and invited their mother, Selvi, to discuss the future course of action.

After learning that his wife had gone to her sister’s house, Sarguru went there and picked up a quarrel. His sister-in-law and mother-in-law tried to pacify him, but it was of no use. In a fit of rage, Sarguru fetched petrol from his bike, locked the house from the inside, and set everyone on fire.

People in the neighbourhood alerted the Cuddalore old town police and fire and rescue service personnel. They reached the spot and recovered the burned bodies of Tamilarasi, Hasini, and Rakshan. They sent the injured Dhanalakshmi, Selvi, and Sarguru (the accused) to the hospital.

According to the doctors at Cuddalore Government General Hospital, Dhanalakshmi, Selvi, and Sarguru have sustained more than 80 percent of burns, and their condition is critical. The Cuddalore Old Town Police have registered a case, and investigations are ongoing.

If Home Is Not Women's Safe Haven, Where Else Is?

It takes so much courage for a woman in our society to decide to leave her husband. Besides, she has an eight-month-old baby as well, and surviving in our society as a single mother is excruciating. Despite everything, Dhanalakshmi felt that she had had enough of her unhappy marriage and decided to separate from her husband. She had gone to her maternal home in the hopes of starting life afresh. Where would women go when everything went south? Maternal homes are considered a safe haven. But unfortunately, it wasn’t the case for Dhanalakshmi.

In a fit of rage, the man decided to attack his wife's entire family and ended up murdering his wife's sister and two children in their own home. His wife and her mother are struggling are currently struggling for their lives at a hospital and are in critical condition.

Dhanalakshmi had returned home in hopes of finding safety with her family, but her husband reacted with violence which lead to the tragic and untimely death of a woman and two young children.

I’ve had a similar personal experience. When I decided to call my marriage quits and went back to my maternal home, my ex and his family threatened us. I was a new mother who was experiencing postpartum depression, and life became so terrifying. Although it might sound weird to say this, we were very grateful that COVID-19 happened and the lockdown was imposed.

It's heartbreaking that when Dhanalakshmi was denied safety and protection just because her husband could not handle rejection.

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