Man Arrested After 27 Years for Setting Wife on Fire

A 70-year-old man named Ningappa was arrested for allegedly setting his wife on fire in 1997. Ningappa had been absconding since the incident. The police arrested him recently after he visited his village. The case, originally an attempt to murder, was turned into a murder case after his wife succumbed to her injuries.

A 70-year-old man was apprehended by police for reportedly setting his wife on fire 27 years ago. The accused, identified as Ningappa, had been on the run since 1997 after facing charges related to the incident in Nonavinakere police station limits.

'The arrest was made as part of solving long pending cases,' stated a police official. According to police, Ningappa poured kerosene on his wife over domestic disputes, leading to her death in hospital. He was detained three days ago during a visit to his village.

'It was a long pending case and now we caught him back. He came back to his village and his son started contacting him and through that connection, we caught him. It was a case of domestic violence. While she was admitted in hospital, the woman had given a dying declaration saying her husband had beaten her and poured kerosene on her,' informed Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Ashok K V. 'A dying declaration is undeniable and no one can protect the accused in such cases. Initially, it was a case of attempt to murder but after she succumbed to injuries, it was converted into a case of murder,' he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)