KOTTAYAM: A youth set a girl on fire for allegedly rejecting his marriage proposal. The attack was towards a 20-year-old girl, a graduate student of a private institution in Thiruvalla. He had been after the girl from the time she was in the 12th standard and he recently approached her parents with the marriage proposal. However, her parents rejected the proposal.

The accused waited at the bus stop with bottles of petrol in his bag and as soon as she came by that way, he doused her with petrol and set her on fire. Before that he injured her also with a knife he had carried with him.

The girl who sustained burns was rushed to Ernakulam Medical Medical Centre hospital by locals after putting out the fire . The incident happened near Thiruvalla Chilanka theatre at around 9:11 am on Tuesday.

The accused has been identified as Vechoochira Vishwabrahmana college BSC first year student and Kumbanadu Koyipram Karal house resident Ajin Reji Mathew (18). Those who gathered at the sport caught him and handed him over to the police
.

Ayirppr Charivil Kizhakkethu resident Vijayakumar’s daughter and Tata Institute of Social Science Thiruvalla Centre Medical Imaging Technology student (20) is the victim. Her family is living in a rented house at Chumathra Vazhaparambil.

After the incident the accused didn't try to flee. Later he told the police he was settling scores with her because she had distanced herself from him. Without any qualms he confessed to the police that his plan was to kill her and commit suicide.