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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
MUMBAI, JULY 27: The charred remains resting on stretchers in a corner of a hospital ward was all that remained of the Nadar family -- save the father -- by evening, after neighbours found Meena and her children burnt to death at their Ghatkopar home today. Meena Nadar, a 29-year-old housewife, is believed to have poured kerosene on her five-year-old son, Sam, three-year-old son, Jack, and 10-month-old daughter, Vinila, at her residence in Room No 7 of S K Kapadia Chawl at Parsiwadi and then set them all on fire at around 10.30 am today.
Ghatkopar police say Meena was alone with her children when the incident took place. Her husband, Shekhar, was in the temple, while Meena's mother-in-law, Annapuram Nadar, had gone to the market.
Their charred bodies were discovered by neighbours who broke open the door to their one-room tenement after they saw smoke billowing out. ``Nobody screamed for help. There was not a sound. It was ghastly. The 10-month-old was still alive. We rushed all of them to hospital,'' aneighbour told Express Newsline.
Meena, Sam and Jack were declared dead before admission to hospital, while Vinila died after an hour. Their charred remains were placed on a stretcher in Ward No 40 of Rajawadi Hospital as incredulous neighbours trickled into the premises all day.
``There was no reason for Meena to do this. They were such a happily married couple. I cannot imagine why she did this. Why,'' asked an old woman who burst into tears on seeing the bodies.
Police, for their part, are non-committal. ``We are yet to categorise the incident as a suicide or an accident. We have found neither a suicide note nor any other substantial evidence to establish it as a suicide. On the other hand, it appears unlikely that it was an accident,'' said Sub-Inspector, Prakash Kshirsagar.
Shekhar and Meena were married about seven years ago. Shekhar, an assistant welder, had lived in the house since childhood while Meena hailed from Thirunelvelli in Tamil Nadu. Neighbours say theirs was a happy marriagethough there were the expected financial ups and downs.
Police have recorded the statements of Shekhar, his mother, Annapuram, and the neighbours.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
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