THIRUVANANHTAPURAM: Ali Akbar (56), senior superintendent of the School of Nursing Office of the Medical College, who tried to commit suicide after killing his wife and mother-in-law, succumbed to his injuries. He was treated at Ali Akbar Medical College Hospital with burns all over his body.

The shocking incident took place at 4 am on March 30 at a house in Pulikuzhi near Aruvikkara's Valavetti. After slashing Mumtaz (47) and mother-in-law Zaheera (67), Ali Akbar set himself on fire. The police found that debt and family problems were the reasons behind the crime. The police found an eight-page suicide note written by Ali Akbar.

Ali Akbar, a native of Manakkad, and his wife Mumtaz, a native of Nedumangad's Anad, built a house in Valavetti's Pulikuzhi 15 years ago. As the marital problems worsened, Ali Akbar lived on the upper floor and Mumtaz and her children along with mother Zaheera lived on the lower floor. A petition for divorce has been filed in the Nedumangad family court.

When Mumtaz, who was fasting during Ramzan, went to the kitchen in the morning to prepare food, Ali Akbar, who was waiting, slashed his neck and hit her on the head with a hammer. Ali Akbar also hacked mother Zaheera who reached here after hearing the screams. Ali's daughter Arshita rushed to the spot and but he scolded her away. By the time Arshita ran to the neighbor's house brought some people with her, Mumtaz and Zaheera were bleeding and unconscious.

Seeing the neighbours coming, Ali Akbar entered the room and poured petrol on his body and set him on fire. Aruvikkara police reached and took all three to the hospital, but Zaheera died on Thursday morning and Mumtaz at 5:30 in the evening. The cause of death was a fatal cut to the neck, a hammer blow to the head and a screwdriver stab wound to the body. The magistrate had recorded Ali Akbar's statement that he had done the crime.