Suicide pact: Man and wife set selves ablaze inside car

The couple were identified as Kannan (42) and Usha (39), from Hanumanth Potheri near Chengalpattu.

At 11.30 pm on Wednesday, people at Mamandur bus stop noticed a car going up in flames on the burial ground road near the Palar riverbed. They alerted Padalam police and the Chengalpattu Fire and Rescue Services, who rushed to the spot and doused the flames. 

The police found the two charred bodies in the front seats, which were retrieved and sent to the Chengalpattu government hospital for autopsy.

Using the chassis number of the vehicle, police traced and identified the couple. 

Police said Kannan used to drive the car as a taxi, while Usha was working as a nurse at a private hospital. The couple had two children and the family lived in a rented house. Kannan was reportedly addicted to drugs and was irregular for work. Over the years, he had accumulated a huge debt. 

During the summer vacation, the couple had sent their children to a relative’s house in their native place. At 8.30 pm, Kannan and Usha told their neighbours that they were going out for dinner. 

Later after dinner, police suspect, the couple probably stopped the car at a secluded place near the burial ground and locked themselves in. They poured petrol all over before setting themselves ablaze. The police have registered a case, sources said.