Home Guard Dies, Wife Demands Arrest Of "Killers"

M Ravinder (38), the traffic home guard who resorted to self-immolation complaining of harassment by his superiors, died today after battling for life for four days.

He died while undergoing treatment at the Apollo DRDO hospital. His body was shifted to Osmania General Hospital mortuary.

Ravinder was upset over non-receipt of salary on time and harassment by his superiors, and on Sunday, poured petrol on himself in front of the Hyderabad Traffic Police Commissioner's office and set himself on fire.

He suffered more than 60% burns, and was first shifted to the Osmania General Hospital. After his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to the Apollo DRDO Hospital in Kanchanbagh. The doctors there provided artificial respiration through a ventilator as his lungs were damaged, but nothing worked and he died this morning.

M Sandhya, Ravinder's wife, sat on protest at the Osmania hospital. She said that her husband had performed his duties with commitment for the past 17 years, and got brutality in return. She also said that Ravinder was not a coward to commit suicide, and alleged that ASI Narsing Rao and police constable Chandu had poured petrol on Ravinder and set him ablaze, and demanded that the CCTV footage of the incident be made public. She also alleged that Ravinder's phone was unlocked and the data deleted by the accused policemen.

Tears in her eyes, she demanded action against those who killed her husband. She also asked the police why the two accused had not been arrested so far.

Sandhya's agitation was supported by some other home guards. The police reached the spot and held discussions with her, and the local CI requested her to call off the agitation, but she did not relent. Steps are being taken to ensure that none of the home guards go on leave or strike in support of Ravinder's family - senior officials issued instructions to the CIs to ensure that home guards are on duty, and the home guards have been warned that if any of them does not report for duty, they will be removed.