Medchal: In a shocking incident, a group of people who illegally occupied government land in Jawaharnagar of Medchal-Malkajgiri district, allegedly set a police inspector and constable on fire on Thursday.
The inspector received severe burns, while the constable received burn injuries on his hands. Inspector P Bikshapathi Rao was first taken to a Dammaiguda hospital, from where he was shifted to another hospital in Secunderabad for better treatment.
Police said the incident happened when the municipal and revenue authorities, along with a police force comprising two sub-inspectors and 15 policemen, led by the inspector, went to the government land to remove the illegal occupation and construction.
Accused, identified as Poonam Chand, Nihal Chand, Shanthi Devi, Nirmal, Balsingh, Chinarampatel, Geetha, Godavari, Yogi Kamal, Madan Lal, led by local political leaders Rangula Shankar, and Shobhareddy and associates, obstructed the government officials from discharging their duty, besides abusing them and throwing chilli powder at them.
While the confrontation was going on, Nihal, Shanthi and Nirmal, who were already inside an illegally constructed room there bolted it from inside. Suddenly, police saw huge flames and smoke coming out of the room. When Inspector Rao and Constable B Arun opened the door, Nihal, Shanthi and Nirmal poured some inflammable substance on them and set them afire.
Two cases were registered in this regard — first on the complainant of Sub-inspector Ch Sailu for assaulting and abusing government officials under sections 353, 332, and 186 read with 34 of IPC, and another on the complaint of Jawaharnagar Municipal Commissioner Mangamma for an attempt to murder police personnel with a pre-hatched plan under sections 332, 333, 353, 307, and 504 read with 34 of the IPC.
The investigation is being monitored by DCP, Malkajgiri.