Hyderabad security guard charred to death in a parked car

HYDERABAD: A 41-year-old security guard died early on Saturday when a fire gutted a high-end car he was sleeping in at an auto garage in Bogulkunta, Abids.

The victim, Santosh Bhagwala, tried to get away but could not as the car doors were locked, workers in the garage said later.

Fire broke out around 3 am and the car was parked between 20 other vehicles in the open garage, adjacent to a hospital building. Fire officers said they received an alert at 3.16 am, rushed to the spot and took control by 4.05 am.

“Four cars including were completely gutted,” said Praveen Kumar, station fire officer (SFO). By then Abids police and many people gathered at the spot.

“It was 3.10 am. My friend and I were on our way to MJ Market for haleem when we saw firefighters trying to control a fire. I was shocked to see a man in a blazing car hitting the window screen before collapsing,” said Abdul Yaseen, who stays nearby.

Bhagwala, a resident of Karwan, worked as a cobbler in the day at Tilak road.

“I spoke to the family members of the victim, who was the sole bread-earner for the family. We will investigate possible foul-play,” said K. Sudhakar, Abids police inspector. “We have started questioning the garage owner and others and are waiting for the post mortem reports.”

According to locals, there is a civil case in the court against the garage owner over ownership rights of the land.

Abids police registered a case of culpable homicide, under fire and explosives Act. The victim’s body was shifted to Osmania general hospital for postmortem.