A three-year-old girl, K. Ashika, sustained burns after her step grandfather hurled a petrol bomb at her house in Santhavasal village near Arani town in Tiruvannamalai on Thursday.
According to police, Ashika is the daughter of C. Kumar and K. Diva Bharathi who had been living in the village for a few years now, and the granddaughter of R. Chinnapapa, 49, a divorcee, who resided in the nearby Vilankuppam village.
Initial inquiry revealed that Ms. Chinnapapa had married farmer S. Raja, 54, a few years ago. A few months ago, Raja was apprised of 25 cents of land owned by Ms. Chinnapapa in Vilankuppam. Since then, he had been demanding that she sell the property and give him the proceeds. As the couple quarrelled over the land regularly, Ms. Chinnapapa moved in with Ms. Bharathi.
Angered by this, Raja hurled the petrol bomb at Ms. Bharathi’s house. It fell on Ashika. In the impact, the girl sustained burns.
Neighbours rushed the girl to the Government Medical College Hospital in Vellore. Doctors said her condition was stable.
The Santhavasal police have registered a case. A search is under way to nab Raja.
Published – May 15, 2025 10:32 pm IST
