Wife arrested in gold theft case, depressed husband attempts suicide

KOLLAM: A distraught husband attempted suicide by dousing himself in petrol after his wife was arrested for theft. Rafeeq, who lives in Rafeeq Manzil, Padinjattinkara Ward, Edamulackal Grama Panchayat, Anchal Block, attempted suicide on Sunday afternoon. The suicide attempt was made when no one was home. Locals who saw the fire spreading informed the Anchal police. The police arrived and admitted Rafeeq to a private hospital and later to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. Rafeeq is reported to have suffered more than fifty percent burns. The police said that Rafeeq had attempted suicide before.

Rafeeq's wife Sabina was arrested by the police on Monday, February 16, for theft. Sabina stole a child's gold anklet worth three-quarters of a sovereign from a private bus that was going from Anchal to Kulathupuzha. The child's mother had informed the bus staff about the loss of the anklet, who in turn informed the police. The gold was recovered during a search conducted by the police who arrived at the scene and took Sabina, who looked dubious, to the Anchal police station.