Former Cong MP, family taken into custody after daughter-in-law's death

Former Congress MP Sircilla Rajaiah’s daughter-in-law and three grandsons were found charred to death at his residence under mysterious circumstances early Wednesday and hours later the leader, his wife and son were taken into police custody for questioning.

The police have registered a case of abetment to suicide against Rajaiah, his wife and son, but said they had not made any arrest so far in connection with the incident.

Following the incident, 62-year-old Rajaiah, who was nominated by the Congress as its candidate for the Warangal Lok Sabha be-election slated for November 21, was replaced by former Union Minister Sarve Satyanarayana as the party’s candidate.

Rajaiah’s daughter-in-law S Sarika and three grandsons -- seven-year-old Abhinav, and twins Ayaan and Shriyaan, aged three -- died on the spot due to burn injuries, police said.

Warangal City Police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu said Rajaiah, his wife Madhavi and son Anil Kumar -- were among those inside their house when the incident happened on the first floor of the two-storey building at Hanamkonda.

“Following a complaint by Sarika’s parents, a case was registered against Rajaiah, his wife Madhavi and son Anil Kumar at Subedari police station under sections 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code, and under section 174 (suspicious death) of CrPC for the death of three boys,” a senior police officer said.

The complaint alleges that Anil Kumar and his parents harassed Sarika. It also says that Anil didn’t take care of her and had extra-marital relationships.

City Police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu said, “We are waiting for Forensic Science Laboratory report. Once FSL and the post-mortem reports come tomorrow then we will have a clarity on how the deaths occurred.”

According to the police, Rajaiah, Madhavi and Anil Kumar were in the house when the incident happened on the first floor of the two-storied building at Hanamkonda. Anil and his parents apparently lived on separate floors.

Asked if it was a suicide or a murder or an accident, Sudheer Babu said: “It’s not that easy to come to a conclusion at this stage. It’s clear that the death is due to burn injuries. FSL experts are looking into it.”

Earlier, Telangana North Zone Inspector General V Naveen Chand who visited the spot said a gas cylinder was found in Sarika’s bedroom.

The cooking cylinder was found with its regulator open, police said.

In April 2014, a criminal case had been filed against Rajaiah, Madhavi, Anil Kumar and another woman at the Begumpet women’s police station in Hyderabad, following a complaint lodged by Sarika alleging that her husband and in-laws were harassing her for dowry.

Sarika, who had quit her job as a software engineer in a multinational company, had also alleged that her husband was having an extra-marital affair. Sarika had then also staged a sit-in protest outside Rajaiah’s house.

Following Wednesday’s incident, Sarika’s mother and sister alleged in their native Nizamabad district that her in-laws “tortured and killed her”.

“My sister cannot commit suicide; she was tortured and killed,” Sarika’s sister alleged.

Rajaiah withdrew his candidature for the by-election following Wednesday’s development, a Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee functionary said.

Wednesday was the last day for filing of nominations for the by-election, necessitated by the resignation of Kadiyam Srihari after he was made the deputy chief minister.