HYDERABAD: A 40-year-old real estate businessman and his 65-year-old mother were charred to death after they allegedly poured petrol and set themselves ablaze in a hotel in Kamareddy town on Saturday.
The police recovered a suicide note purportedly left behind by the victims alleging that they resorted to take the extreme steps after some political leaders in Ramayampet harassed them by registering false cases against them.
The deceased were identified as Gangam Santosh and his mother G. Padma, residents of Ramayampet in Medak district.
The Kamareddy police registered cases against seven person including Ramayampet municipal chairman Palle Jitender Goud and others for abetting to suicide. The police also recovered a selfie video in which Santosh and Padma alleged harassment by political leaders.
Kamareddy town inspector Naresh said Santosh took her mother Padma to a hospital on April 11 and they rented a room in a hotel in the town. After consulting doctors, both went to a temple and offered prayers. In the early hours of Saturday, Santosh and Padma poured petrol and set themselves ablaze.
The staff noticed thick smoke emanating from room no 203 and thought a fire mishap took place due to a short circuit. The hotel staff rushed to the spot and found that two persons were charred to death. Immediately, they alerted the police. A fire tender was brought to the place which doused the flames.
During searching, the police found mobile phone of Santosh and the suicide note at the place.
Santosh, in his suicide note, alleged that Goud demanded 50 per cent share in a business in which Santosh was one of the partners. As Santosh refused, Goud and others influenced the then local police inspector Nagarjuna Goud.
"Nagarjuna Goud called me to the police station on a fake complaint and harassed me. My phone was snatched by Nagarjuna Goud and he kept the mobile with him for 10 days. When I approached the district police officers, the police called me to the station and handed me over the phone," Santosh alleged.
In the selfie video, Padma also alleged that Jitender Goud and others had harassed her family for the past few years and registered false cases against them.
Based on the suicide note, the Kamareddy police registered cases under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) of IPC against Jitender Goud, police officer Nagarjuna Goud, and five others.
