Franklin, who represents Ward 9 (Muttakkadu), also serves as the chairman of the municipality’s health standing committee.

Franklin, who represents Ward 9 (Muttakkadu), also serves as the chairman of the municipality’s health standing committee.

Franklin, who represents Ward 9 (Muttakkadu), also serves as the chairman of the municipality’s health standing committee.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Neyyattinkara police on Saturday booked Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee general secretary and Neyyattinkara municipal councillor Jose Franklin on charges of abetment to suicide following the death of a 50-year-old woman who ran a bakery.

Franklin, who represents Ward 9 (Muttakkadu), also serves as the chairman of the municipality’s health standing committee.

The incident happened on October 8 at the woman’s residence in Muttakkadu. Around 5.30 am, her 25-year-old daughter rushed to the kitchen after hearing her mother’s screams and found her lying on the floor, engulfed in flames. With the help of neighbours, the woman was taken to the Neyyattinkara General Hospital and later shifted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, where she succumbed to her burn injuries around 10.50 am.

Police had initially registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), suspecting an accidental fire. However, forensic examination later confirmed it to be a case of suicide, leading to the addition of abetment charges against the councillor. Further investigation is underway.

ADVERTISEMENT
Disclaimer:

The image/photograph used in this report was not created by Malayala Manorama or any of its affiliates. It has been sourced from Facebook, where it is publicly accessible. The image is used under fair dealing provisions for the purposes of review and reporting on current affairs.