GUNTUR: In a horrifying incident, a 16-year-old student was charred to death after petrol was poured on him allegedly by a man who had been harassing his sister at Razole village in Bapatla district on Friday. The deceased was identified as U Amarnath, a Class 10 student of a High School in Uppalavaripalem. The incident took place when the victim was on his way to attend tuition classes.
Police said, the accused, Venkateswara Reddy, followed Amarnath along with his group of friends. After reaching Reddy Palem village, the 20-year-old accused and his friends attacked the victim and dragged him to a nearby field. They allegedly poured petrol on him, set him ablaze and fled the scene.
On hearing Amarnath pleading for help, passers-by rushed to the spot. They doused the fire and rushed him to Government General Hospital (GGH) in Guntur immediately. However, the minor succumbed to his injuries. Meanwhile, the victim’s mother Madhavi, in her complaint, alleged that Venkateswara had been harassing her elder daughter.
“Fearing that we would make her drop out from school, my daughter brought the matter to her brother. Amaranath confronted Venkateswara over it and warned him to stay away from his sister,” Madhavi said.
“Developing a grudge against Amarnath, Venkateswara thrashed him a few months back. We informed his family. Enraged by the turn of events, Venkateswara attacked and killed my son,” she alleged. A case has been registered.