Woman Tahsildar’s driver succumbs to burns

Hyderabad: A day after a woman tahsildar was allegedly burnt alive in her office near here, 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 afireat her office in Abdullapurmet by K Suresh over some land dispute. Two staff, including Vijaya’s driver, Gurunatham, who came to her rescue too were seriously injured in the incident even as the assailant, who received 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. The incident happened at around 1.30 PM on Monday when Suresh, a local who came to the Tahsil office on a bike, poured petrol on her and set her on fire using a lighter. The Commissioner said a scientific investigation was underway and they were probing from all angles to ascertain the exact reason that provoked Suresh to take the extreme step of setting the Tahsildar on fire. Police were holding inquiry with Suresh’s family members, checking his call records and verifying the land documents. The land was transferred to a tenant and a disputehad arisen over it. A litigation was in the High Court. (PTI)