india

Updated: Nov 05, 2019 17:44 IST

In less than 24 hours of woman tehsildar (block level official) Ch Vijaya Reddy being burnt alive by a miscreant at her office in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district, her driver who made a futile bid to save her succumbed to burn injuries on Tuesday, doctors said.

Kamalla Gurunatham (27), who had been working as a driver at Abdullapurmet office for the last three years, sustained 80 per cent burns while making an attempt, along with office attendant Chandraiah, to save Vijaya Reddy who was completely engulfed in flames.

While Vijaya Reddy died on the spot, both Gurunatham and Chandraiah were admitted to DRDO Apollo Hospitals at Kanchanbagh. “Gurunatham’s condition was critical when he was brought to the hospital. He breathed his last at around 10 am on Tuesday morning,” a doctor who attended on him said. The condition of Chandraiah who sustained 60 per cent burns is also serious, he said.

Gurunatham, who belonged to Veldanda village of Garidepalli block in Suryapet district, is survived by his wife Soundarya and a three-year old son. Soundarya is said to be in her eighth months pregnant with her second child.

Meanwhile, the condition of Kura Suresh, the accused in the murder of Vijaya Reddy, who is under treatment at Osmania General Hospital, is also said to be serious. According to the doctors, Suresh, who sustained 65 per cent burns, is in a neuro-burn shock. “We cannot say about his survival chances for another 72 hours,” the doctors said.

The Abdullapurmet police said they were questioning the parents and other relatives of Suresh from Gourelli village to find out the motive behind the murder of women tehsildar. “The investigation is going on. There is no question of sparing anybody, if there are any big people behind the murder,” Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagawat said

Telangana Revenue Services Association called for a shutdown of their offices across the state on Tuesday in protest against the killing of Abdullapurmet tehsildar. A large number of employees blocked the road at Nagole, where the mortal remains of Vijaya Reddy were cremated in the nearby crematorium with state honours.

The police commissioner met representatives of the association and promised them to punish the guilty through a fast track court.