The police sketch of a suspect who allegedly burnt a woman on a train in Kerala
A woman in Kerala has died in hospital after she was set on fire on a train early on Monday morning. The police have released a sketch of the main suspect, based on the woman's statement before she died. He allegedly emptied a bottle of liquor on her in a compartment that did not have any other passengers, and then lit a match.
She ran out screaming for help, and in the chaos that followed, the man slipped away.
The woman was then rushed to hospital in Kozhikode, about 375 km from the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram.
The man the police are hunting for is believed to be 23. The victim was in her 40s.
The police say that passengers have said they saw the woman arguing with a man at a station before the horrific attack, which took place at about 5 am.
Two completely charred seats show the extent of the fire and how severely the woman was injured. A bag, a bottle and a knife have been found.
The police say the woman was divorced, with three married children, and was always on the move; she hardly stayed in her home in Malappuram.
Three years ago, a young woman in her 20s was pushed out of a train in Kerala and then raped; she died in hospital; her attacker was sentenced to death by a local court.