Six including two children burnt alive in Mancherial; murder suspected

Mandamarri police said the victims were Masu Shivaiah (50), his wife Rajyalaxmi (45), daughter Mounika (22), granddaughters Himabindu (2) and Sweety and relative Shanigarapu Shanthaiah (55), all from Gudipelli Venkatapur village.

Mancherial: In what is suspected to be a shocking case of pre-planned murder, six persons, including two children, were burnt alive after their tile-roofed hut was gutted in a fire at Venkatapur village in Mandamarri mandal in the early hours of Saturday. Based on preliminary investigation, police are suspecting the fire was deliberately triggered and while investigating the arson angle, have reportedly detained four persons.

According to Mandamarri Inspector S Pramod Rao, the victims were Masu Shivaiah (48), his wife Rajyalakshmi alias Padma (42), their niece Mounika (24), Mounika’s daughters Himabindu (4) and Sweety (2), and Shanigarapu Shanthaiah (57).

---

Shivaiah, an employee of the Revenue department, and Padma were from Venkatapur. Mounika, a widow, was from Kondapet in Kotapalli mandal while Shanthaiah, a native of Utkur village in Luxettipet mandal, was a coal miner employed at RK6 underground mine in Srirampur.
Shivaiah and the five others were charred to death when they were asleep with the hut catching fire around 12.30 am. Most the bodies had over 70 percent burns while the bodies of the children were reduced to ashes, police said, adding that they were believed to have died due to asphyxiation and burn injuries.

The arson angle came up after the police found two cans, suspected to have had petrol or some inflammable substance and reportedly chili powder as well, were found from the vicinity of the gutted hut. Police also suspect that the doors of the hut were locked from outside before the hut was doused with the inflammable material and set on fire.

On being alerted about the fire by a neighbor Mukunder, fire engines fighters from the Bellampally fire station rushed to the spot and doused the flames. However, the six were burnt alive before fire engines reached the village, about 10 kilometres away from Mancherial town.

In-charge Deputy Commissioner of Police Akhil Mahajan, who visited the crime scene, told the media that 16 special teams were formed to detect the suspected offenders. Though there was no conclusive evidence yet on the arson angle, circumstantial evidence pointed to the possibility of pre-planned murder. Reports from the fire and electricity departments and forensic labs were awaited. More details could be divulged only after further investigation, he said.

A case of suspicious death was registered based on a complaint received from Shivaiah’s son Sandeep. The DCP said investigators were focusing on angles such as fire accident, electrical short-circuit and the role of dependents of Shanthaiah.

It was learnt that four suspects, reportedly Shanthaiah’s relatives, were detained and were being interrogated. Shanthaiah was maintaining a live-in relationship with Padma for a decade, allegedly with the knowledge of her husband.

Shanthaiah’s legal wife Srujana had filed a case seeking divorce while her sons were at loggerheads with him over his property and job for quite a long time, police have learned.