Ola driver sets wife ablaze inside car in Chennai, two children manage to escape

30-year-old Ola cabbie stepped out of the car and set her wife on fire, leaving her and their two children to die in Chennai.

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Chennai: In a brazen incident, an Ola driver was on Monday arrested by the Chennai police for killing his wife by setting her ablaze inside his cab in Nandanam following a heated argument. 

28-year-old Prema was travelling with her husband and two children in the Ola cab on Sunday afternoon. The couple got into a bitter argument while they were on their way after which Prema poured a bottle of petrol (that was kept in car for emergency) on her inside the car to threaten her husband. 

To her surprise, her husband Nagaraj, 30, who is an Ola cab driver by profession, stepped out of the car and set her ablaze, leaving her and their two children to die. 

A police source told media that Prema managed to save her children by helping them escape through the window while the fire started to engulf her. 

She was admitted to Kilpauk Medical College but succumbed to her injuries on Sunday evening. In a statement given to the police, Prema stated that she was burnt alive by her husband Nagaraj, (30).

Police said that Prema and Nagraj got married five years ago after he first husband abandoned her. She and their two children were seating on the back seat of the car when the incident took place.

A doctor said that Prema was admitted to the hospital with over severe burn injuries and was in a critical condition. Her four-year-old son was also admitted with burn injuries and was critical.

Based on her complaint, Nagaraj was arrested and booked under charges of murder by Saidapet police.