Hyderabad: Driver of the woman tehsildar who was burnt alive succumbs to injuries

A day after a woman tahsildar was allegedly burnt alive at her office near Hyderabad, her driver, who tried to rescue her, succumbed to injuries on Tuesday, police said.

Tahsildar Vijaya Reddy, 37, died on the spot after she was allegedly set on fire at her office in Abdullapurmet by K Suresh over some land dispute.

Two staff members, including Vijaya's driver Gurunatham (27), who came to her rescue too were seriously injured even as the assailant, who suffered 60 per cent burns, were all admitted to different hospitals in the city.

“Gurunatham succumbed to his injuries at a hospital while undergoing treatment," Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat told PTI.

Suresh, who is currently undergoing treatment in a hospital, is said to be in critical condition.

Vijaya Reddy's funeral rites were performed at Nagole here.

Earlier, hundreds of revenue and other government department employees visited her house to pay their last respects and later participated in the funeral procession.

Demanding a transparent probe by the government into the incident , Vijaya Reddys husband Subash Reddy said I suspect one person alone cannot resort to such a heinous crime. I suspect some forces are behind her murder.

The incident happened at around 1.30 PM on Monday when Suresh, a local who came to the tahsildar's office on a two-wheeler, poured petrol on her and set her afire using a lighter.

The Commissioner said a scientific investigation was on and they were probing from all angles to ascertain the exact reason that provoked Suresh to take such a step.

Police were questioning the family members of Suresh, checking his phone call data records and verifying land documents as part of the investigation.

Suresh had told police that he is a farmer and also into real estate and co-owned 7-acre agriculture land along with his brother.

The land was transferred to a tenant and a dispute has arisen over it and litigation is on.

Outraged over the incident, Revenue department employees across Telangana staged protests and abstained from work on Tuesday also.

Principal Secretary (Revenue) and senior IAS officer Somesh Kumar said measures would be taken to safeguard all officers and staff.

Addressing district collectors, Kumar said the government and all of us will take all measures to safeguard our officers and staff."

All of us condemn the heinous crime where our tahsildar has been murdered in the most barbaric manner. Our sympathies are with the bereaved family, he said in a communication to the collectors.

He said some officers, staff and their associations have approached the collectors.

Still, it is important that you speak to your employees and their associations and give them a sense that in this moment of crisis we are with them. Their issues are being attended on priority, he said.

Meanwhile, a video went viral showing a woman demanding "bribe amount" she allegedly earlier paid to a revenue official.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee working president and MP A Revanth Reddy sought a CBI probe into the incident.