Fire at ex-MP's house kills four

Rajaiah booked for suicide abetment as daughter-in-law, sons perish in blaze

Former Congress MP Sircilla Rajaiah’s daughter-in-law and three grandsons were found charred to death at his residence here under mysterious circumstances early on Wednesday and hours later, the leader, his wife and son were taken into police custody for questioning.

The police have registered a case of abetment to suicide against Rajaiah, his wife and son, but said they had not made any arrest so far in connection with the incident.

Following the incident, 62-year-old Rajaiah, who was nominated by the Congress as its candidate for the Warangal Lok Sabha be-election slated for November 21, was replaced by former Union Minister Sarve Satyanarayana as the party’s candidate.

Rajaiah’s daughter-in-law S Sarika and three grandsons — seven-year-old Abhinav, and twins Ayaan and Shriyaan, aged three — died on the spot due to burn injuries, police said.

Sarika, who had married Rajaiah’s son Anil, accused her husband and his girlfriend Sana and the in-laws of harassing her and lodged a complaint with Begumpet women’s police station last year. “My husband is having an affair with another woman and harassing me for more dowry,” she had mentioned in her compliant.

She even staged a protest demonstration in front of Rajaiah’s residence along with her three children saying her in-laws abandoned her. She was, however, allowed to live in the first floor but was left to fend for herself.

Warangal City Police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu said Rajaiah, his wife Madhavi and son Anil Kumar—were among those inside their house when the incident happened on the first floor of the two-storey building at Hanamkonda.

“Following a complaint by Sarika’s parents, a case was registered against Rajaiah, his wife Madhavi and son Anil Kumar at Subedari police station under sections 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 (abetment to suicide) of IPC, and under section 174 (suspicious death) of CrPC for the death of three boys,” a senior police officer said. The complaint alleges that Anil Kumar and his parents harassed Sarika. It also says that Anil didn’t take care of her and had extra-marital relationships.

City Police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu said, “We are waiting for FSL report. Once FSL and post-mortem reports come tomorrow (Thursday), we will have a clarity on how the deaths occurred.”

Asked if it was a suicide or a murder or an accident, Sudheer Babu said: “It’s not that easy to come to a conclusion at this stage. It’s clear that the death is due to burn injuries...FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) experts are looking into it.”

Earlier, Telangana North Zone Inspector General V Naveen Chand, who visited the spot, said a gas cylinder was found in Sarika’s bedroom.