Drunken father sets bawling toddler on fire

A 37-year-old drunk, enraged at his wife for not returning home after a domestic fight, set his three-year-old daughter on fire when he could not stop her bawling on Wednesday. Neighbours took the toddler to a hospital from where she was shifted to KEM. She died of 100 per cent burns on Thursday. The police have arrested Veerappan Kounder and charged him with murder.

Kounder, a BMC sweeper, stayed at Malvani, Malad (west), with his wife, son, 5, and daughter, 3. He regularly fought with his wife as he felt she had an extramarital affair, Abdul Rauf Shaikh, senior inspector, said. “On Sunday, they had a heated argument over this,” Shaikh said. “When he started beating her, she left home. But she did not return till Wednesday.”

Kounder returned home drunk on Wednesday night and found his daughter crying loudly. “When he could not stop her, he first beat his son and then poured kerosene on them.” The son fled and alerted the neighbours. By the time they reached, Kounder had set his daughter on fire.