A man set five people, including his wife and two children, on fire over a domestic dispute in Telangana’s Siddipet district in the early hours of Friday, the police said.
The suspect’s wife, 38-year old Vimala, sustained 90 per cent burns and was in critical condition, her 12-year-old daughter Pavithra, eight-year-old son Jaipal, 34-year-old brother John Raju and 30-year-old sister Sunitha were out of danger and under treatment.
Accused Lakshmi Rajyam, who has been absconding, has been booked for attempt to murder and cruelty to wife, the police said.
Rajyam, a resident of Nemalikonda village in Karimnagar district, used to harass Vimla, his wife for twenty years, which made her file a case of domestic violence against him eight years ago.
A family court, which was hearing the case, recently asked the couple to live together, following which, they moved to Bharatnagar in Siddipet town. Two days ago, Vimala took her two children to her brother’s place at Khammampalli.
“In the early hours of Friday, Rajyam sneaked into his brother-in-law’s house, poured turpentine (a combustible liquid used as paint thinner) on them, lit a firecracker and threw it on them. He fled the spot immediately,” said R Krishna, Thoguta sub-inspector of police.
{{/usCountry}}“In the early hours of Friday, Rajyam sneaked into his brother-in-law’s house, poured turpentine (a combustible liquid used as paint thinner) on them, lit a firecracker and threw it on them. He fled the spot immediately,” said R Krishna, Thoguta sub-inspector of police.
{{/usCountry}}Neighbours heard the victims scream and doused the flames before calling an ambulance and the police.
Two of the five victims were under treatment at a government hospital in Siddipet while Vimala and two others had been shifted to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad for better treatment.