Man Sets House and Car on Fire Over Unpaid Car Debt, Attempts Suicide in Palakkad
Palakkad: A man set fire to the house of the person who bought his car in a retaliatory act, alleging that the remaining payment for the vehicle sold in the Gulf was not received. Premdas, a native of Paravoor in Ernakulam, attempted to destroy the house of Ibrahim, a resident of Muthuthala. After setting the house on fire, Premdas tried to end his life inside and was admitted to the hospital with serious injuries. Police also recovered a warning note from the house demanding the immediate return of the remaining money.
On Tuesday around 12 noon, locals noticed smoke rising from Ibrahim’s house near the Muthuthala Panchayat office. This was followed by a loud explosion. Before residents could gather, the fire had already spread through the house. While extinguishing the blaze, a middle-aged man, identified as Premdas, was found covered in blood, holding a lighter and a knife. The fire service, police, and locals quickly moved him to an ambulance. Police stated that Ibrahim’s wife and two children managed to escape when Premdas trespassed and set the house on fire. In the incident, an Innova car and a scooter parked in the porch, along with a portion of the house, were completely destroyed.
A note recovered from inside the house revealed the reason behind the incident. It stated that Premdas had sold his car to Ibrahim for two lakh rupees in Saudi Arabia two and a half years ago. Premdas alleges that Ibrahim took the vehicle after paying only half the amount and failed to pay the remaining one lakh rupees. The note further indicated that Premdas resorted to this extreme act after repeated attempts to contact Ibrahim by phone and in person went unanswered, and demanded the immediate return of the money. Police’s preliminary conclusion is that financial issues are at the root of the incident. For further clarity, statements need to be taken from Premdas, who is currently undergoing treatment in the hospital, and Ibrahim, who is abroad. Koppam police have registered a case and initiated an investigation.