Tumakuru, 27 Sept

A 70-year-old man was arrested for allegedly setting his wife on fire 27 years ago, police said on Friday.

Ningappa had been absconding since 1997 after he was charged in the incident in Nonavinakere police station limits, they said. "The arrest was made as part of solving long pending cases," a police official said.

According to police, Nanjappa set his wife ablaze by pouring kerosene on her over domestic issues. She succumbed to injuries in hospital.

He was arrested three days ago when he happened to visit his village. "It was a long pending case and now we caught him back. He came back to his village and his son started contacting him and through that connection, we caught him. It was a case of domestic violence. While she was admitted in hospital, the woman had given a dying declaration saying her husband had beaten her and poured kerosene on her," Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Ashok KV told PTI.

"A dying declaration is undeniable and no one can protect the accused in such cases. Initially, it was a case of attempt to murder but after she succumbed to injuries, it was converted into a case of murder," he said. -PTI