Kozhikode: Rajin Lal, 36, the husband of the pregnant woman who died in a car fire near Cheruvannur in Perambra last week, succumbed to burns at around 5.30 pm on Saturday. He was undergoing treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

He had sustained more than 60 per cent burns in the incident that occurred on May 15 near Kakkaramukku Junction in Perambra. His wife, Sona, 28, died on the spot in the fire.

His death comes amid an ongoing police investigation that had recently taken a dramatic turn following the emergence of CCTV footage of Sona purchasing petrol, suggesting a possible suicide angle in the case.

The tragic incident took place around 9 pm on Friday near Othayathuthazham, close to Cheruvannur, when the car carrying the couple caught fire near a paddy field.  Rajin managed to escape by jumping out of the burning vehicle into a nearby canal after flames spread rapidly inside the car. Sona, however, who was seated in the rear seat, was trapped inside the vehicle and died on the spot.