Mumbai woman pours kerosene on her kids, sets them on fire, self-immolates over living conditions

According to the police, Anita Ajay Kumar Kanojiya used to argue with her husband, Ajay Kumar, over poor living conditions.

A 29-year-old woman set her two children, aged nine months and two years, on fire and committed suicide by pouring kerosene on her at her home in Mumbai’s Kalyan neighbourhood on Saturday.

This is the second such incident in past 24 hours where a mother has killed her children before ending her life.

According to the police, Anita Ajay Kumar Kanojiya used to argue with her husband, Ajay Kumar, over poor living conditions.

She locked herself up in the house late in the afternoon, poured kerosene on nine-month-old Durgesh and two-year-old Nandin and set them on fire. Later, she used the combustible liquid to immolate herself.

“The incident came to light when a neighbour knocked on the door and nobody opened it. She went to Ajay’s laundry stall and informed him that his wife did not open the door. Ajay opened the door and found charred bodies of his children and wife. The couple was married for four years,” said B Kadam, senior inspector from Khadakpada police station.

Kadam added, “We are investigating with Ajay and their relatives to know more about the case.”

Earlier too, a 32-year-old woman, Archana Kadam, strangled her twin sons and later committed suicide by hanging herself to the ceiling in Thane’s Kalwa . In the suicide note, she wrote that she could not cope with the burden of taking care of her mentally-challenged children.