Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Burning Woman Alive in Jogulamba Gadwal.

Gadwal : A court in Mahabubnagar has sentenced a man to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹10,000 for causing the death of a woman by setting her on fire. The verdict was delivered on Friday by the Additional and Sessions Court Judge, Sharada Devi. District SP T. Srinivasa Rao appreciated the efforts of the police officers involved in the case.

Case Details:

The incident took place in Dharoorn Mandal, where Mala Beesamma (40 years old), a daily wage laborer and widow of the late Chinna Hanmanthu, was allegedly harassed by Chakali Venkataiah (42 years old), also a daily wage laborer from Dharoorn. Venkataiah was in an illicit relationship with Beesamma but grew suspicious of her interactions with other men.

On November 20, 2016, Venkataiah barged into Beesamma’s house while she was cotton-picking. Enraged over his suspicions, he verbally abused her, threatened to kill her, and then poured kerosene over her before setting her on fire. As Beesamma screamed for help, neighbors rushed in, extinguished the flames, and took her to the hospital.

Before succumbing to her injuries, Beesamma provided a dying declaration to the police, stating that Venkataiah had intentionally set her on fire. Based on her statement, the Dharoorn police registered a case under Crime No. 194/2016, invoking Section 307 of the IPC and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

On December 15, 2016, Beesamma passed away, and her statement was submitted before the Gadwal court. Then-DSP Balakoti led the investigation, which confirmed Venkataiah’s crime. He was arrested and sent to judicial remand. After completing the investigation, the charge sheet was submitted to the court.

Trial and Verdict:

The trial was conducted at the Mahabubnagar Additional and Sessions Court, with Public Prosecutor L.H. Rajeshwar Rao representing the case