Tea vendor who set himself ablaze at Bheemgal police station dies during treatment

A tea vendor from Bheemgal, Polasa Sudhakar, who had set himself ablaze at the police station premises alleging police harassment, died while undergoing treatment on Tuesday. Meanwhile, former minister and Balkonda MLA V Prashanth Reddy was placed under house arrest while attempting to visit Bheemgal and pay tributes to the deceased.

Nizamabad: Polasa Sudhakar, a tea shop vendor who attempted suicide by setting himself ablaze at the premises of the Bheemgal police station, succumbed to his burn injuries while undergoing treatment at a private hospital here on Tuesday.

The 58-year-old tea shop vendor had attempted suicide on Monday, unable to bear harassment allegedly by the police in Bheemgal under the Balkonda constituency. He suffered severe burns and was shifted to a hospital for treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday.

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Sudhakar used to operate a tea shop at the Bheemgal bus stand. He alleged that the police had repeatedly questioned and fined him for keeping his outlet open late at night. Despite being fined three times earlier, he charged that following the latest fine, the police ordered him to come to the station to sign documents and subsequently appear before a court to pay the penalty, reports said.

Sudhakar had expressed anguish, stating that he was merely trying to earn a livelihood through his petty tea stall but was being singled out and harassed by the police. Amid the situation, around 10 a.m. on Monday, he attempted suicide by pouring petrol on himself inside the police station premises.

Meanwhile, Balkonda MLA and former Minister V Prashanth Reddy, who wanted to visit Bheemgal and pay tributes to Sudhakar, was placed under house arrest by the police in Hyderabad. A heavy police force was deployed outside the former Minister’s residence in the city.