Bengaluru: A 52-year-old businessman set his 25-year-old son ablaze over a financial issue in Chamrajpet police limits on April 1. The son, who died on Thursday, had tried to defend the father despite sustaining severe burns telling the police that he had set himself ablaze. CCTV footage provided by a neighbour, however, proved that the businessman, Surendra Kumar alias Babu, had set the son, Arpith, on fire. The police arrested him immediately and booked him on charges of murder.
The police said Kumar runs a construction, timber and fabrication business and his son had taken over two years ago. In the beginning, Arpith used to update his father about business transactions and promptly handed over cash But over the last few months, he had stopped doing it, upsetting his father.
“Kumar, who checked the accounts, learnt that his son had to pay him Rs 1.5 crore. When he asked about it, Arpith allegedly gave lame excuses. There were frequent quarrels, as Arpith had reportedly told his father that he will not give the money. It is said that during arguments, Arpith would dare his father saying the maximum he could do is to kill him (Arpith). Around 2.30 pm on April 1, Kumar confronted his son again at their godown. There was a heated argument for over 20 minutes, after which Arpith came out of the godown. Kumar followed his son, poured thinner on him and threw a burning matchstick at him. As it didn’t catch fire, he lit another matchstick, held Arpith by hand and set him on fire,” the police said.
Later, Kumar took Arpith to a hospital and got him admitted. “As the news spread, a neighbour shared a CCTV video showing the father setting his son on fire. The father was arrested and booked for murder,” the police said.