Andhra ex-MP, wife, son detained for mysterious fire
IN 2013, SARIKA HAD LODGED A COMPLAINT AGAINST HER HUSBAND, ANIL KUMAR, FOR TORTURING HER AND SEEKING MORE DOWRY
HYDERABAD: A former Congress member of parliament, his wife and their son have been detained for questioning in connection with the death of the ex-MP’s daughter-in-law and three grandsons in a fire at his house on Wednesday in Telangana’s Warangal town. Siricilla Rajaiah, his wife Madhavi and son Anil Kumar were picked up from their house and taken an undisclosed location under tight security.
HYDERABAD: A former Congress member of parliament, his wife and their son were detained for questioning after the mysterious death of their daughter-in-law and three grandsons in a fire at their house in Telangana’s Warangal town on Wednesday.
The three were picked up from their house and taken an undisclosed location under tight security.
Siricilla Rajaiah’s daughterin-law S Sarika and three grandsons Abhinav (7), and twins Ayaan and Shriyaan (3), were charred alive when a fire broke out in their bedroom on the first floor of the house.
The 62-year-old Congressman, wife Madhavi and son Anil Kumar used to live on different floors of the same house.
Police said the three were present in the house when the fire broke out on the first floor.
Fire brigade officials extinguished the fire around 6.30 am It was not clear what caused the fire. “We found four bodies in the house. We are investigating. It’s premature to say anything now,” Warangal Police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu told the media.
Te lang ana North Zone Inspector General, V Naveen Chand, who visited the spot, said a gas cylinder was found in Sarika’s bedroom.
While the police maintain that the four died on the spot due to burn injuries, they are investigating if the incident was a suicide or murder.
Sarika’s parents, who live in Nizamabad district, said they doubted if it was an accidental fire. They also ruled out suicide.
A women’s groups alleged that Sarika and the children were murdered and demanded action against the former MP and his son.
Sarika had in 2013 lodged a complaint with police that her husband was mentally torturing her and seeking more dowry.
Last year, she staged a sitin in front of Rajaiah’s house, seeking justice for her and her children. She also complained that Anil was having an extramarital affair.
Meanwhile, the Congress replaced Rajaiah as its candidate for the November 21 byelection from the Warangal Lok Sabha seat. He was elected from Warangal in 2009 but lost last year.
Rajaiah had filed nomination papers for the by-election on Monday but pulled out of the race after the tragedy on Wednesday morning.
The Congress is likely to field former central minister Sarve Satyanarayana or former state minister Vijayarama Rao from Warangal.
The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s Kadiam Srihari after he became the deputy chief minister of the newly carved state.