Tribal woman set ablaze in Telangana's Medak succumbs to burns

Initially, the police suspected that Sathli Bai was attacked with acid, but later it was revealed that the accused poured petrol over her and set her ablaze.

A 40-year-old tribal woman from Telangana’s Medak district, who was set ablaze by an unknown person in the early hours of Monday, succumbed to burn injuries at a government hospital in Hyderabad on Tuesday, the police said.

The victim was identified as Sathli Bai (40), a resident of Malkapur tribal hamlet of Tekmal block. (GETTY IMAGES). (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The victim was identified as Sathli Bai (40), a resident of Malkapur tribal hamlet of Tekmal block.

“She was found lying with severe burn injuries near the Gandhi statue at Gadipeddapur village of Alladurg block in the early hours of Monday. We immediately shifted her to Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad, where she died on Tuesday morning,” Alladurg sub-inspector of police A Mohan Reddy said.

Initially, the police suspected that Sathli Bai was attacked with acid, but later it was revealed that the accused poured petrol over her and set her ablaze. “Based on a statement from Sathli Bai in the hospital, we picked up a person for questioning. We shall reveal further details later,” the SI said.

According to the police, the woman and her two daughters had been staying with her parents at Malkapur for the last couple of years, after her husband was killed in a family dispute. She had been earning her livelihood by working as an agricultural labourer.

“We took her first to Jogipet area hospital and after first aid, we moved her to Osmania Hospital in Hyderabad,” Mohan Reddy said. A case of murder under Section 302 has been registered and investigation is going on, he said.