A forty-year-old woman was allegedly burnt alive while she was sleeping at her home in Marthidi village in Bejjur mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
The deceased, Durgam Savanthabai,belonging to Scheduled Caste, named a ruling TRS party worker Basharath Khan, aged 40 years, Kamera Chalubai and her 20-year-old son Kamera Sai, in her dying declaration as having set fire to her cot after pouring kerosene due to previous enmity.
Savanthabai was first taken to Sirpur (T) hospital where she gave the dying declaration around 2 a.m. She died later in the day near Srirampur while being shifted to Warangal for treatment of severe burn injuries.
According to Kagaznagar DSP P. Sambaiah, Savanthabai had also reported about her house having been set afire by one Durgaiah four days back. She had first claimed that the fire was accidental, but later accused Durgaiah, who is alleged to have been her paramour.
As the deceased pointed an accusing finger at the threesome, police investigations are centering around collecting corroborative evidence.
“There are other aspects also which need to be investigated,” Kagaznagar DSP P. Sambaiah told The Hindu on Wednesday.
“There are reports that Savanthabai caught fire accidentally from the fire she had lit close to where she slept, or from the burning coals she placed under the cot apparently to keep herself warm in the cold night,” he added. The police have registered a case under Section 302 read with Section 34 of IPC and Section 3(2) (v) (a) SC, ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 and Amendment Act 2015 and are investigating.
