MRO murder accused Suresh succumbs

Hyderabad: Suresh, accused in Abdullapurmet tahsildar Vijaya Reddy's murder, succumbed to burn injuries on Thursday at around 3.30 pm at Osmania Hospital in the burns ward, declared the hospital doctors.

The body was shifted to mortuary for autopsy and after that it will be handed over to his family members soon after the postmortem.

Suresh was admitted to the Osmania General Hospital by the Rachakonda police on Monday evening.

He had sustained 65 percent burns after he had doused Vijaya Reddy with petrol after walking into her chambers on Monday afternoon and set her ablaze in connection with a land dispute.

In the process, Suresh too suffered serious burn injuries while Vijaya Reddy ran out of the chambers and collapsed in the verandah and died on the spot. After committing gruesome act, Suresh himself went to Abdullapurmet police station and collapsed at the station entrance.

MRO's driver Gurunatham and another employee Chandraiah received burn injuries while trying to save the official. Both were admitted to Apollo DRDO Hospital, where Gurunatham succumbed on Tuesday.

Suresh, in his dying declaration said that he set Vijaya Reddy ablaze as she refused to give patta to a disputed land in the mandal even after visiting latter's office several times and requested forpattadar passbook.

In his last attempt on Monday, he got frustrated with the continuous refusal by Vijaya Reddy and finally took the extreme decision of setting her ablaze.

Reportedly, he informed the police that he first poured petrol on himself to threaten the lady officer and then poured it on her.

K Latha, wife of Suresh speaking to media on Wednesday alleged that her husband was made the scapegoat in the tahsildar's murder.

She alleged that there are other persons who influenced her husband to kill the tahsildar.

On the other hand, the police have hastened the investigation in this sensational case. They have collected the call data of both Suresh and Vijaya Reddy and are suspecting the involvement of bigwigs behind the land dispute.