Man sprays petrol, tries to set officials on fire during anti-encroachment drive in Telangana

The man sprayed petrol on the officials team including on the MPO and the SI through a pesticide sprayer which he had already filled with petrol.

Hyderabad: A Mandal Panchayat Officer (MPO) suffered burn injuries after a man accused of encroaching a road near his house allegedly attacked him and other officials by spraying petrol on them and allegedly tried to set them on fire in Jagtial district on Tuesday, police said. As per police, the incident happened in Beerpur Mandal, when a group of officials including the local Tahsildar, the MPO and a Sub-Inspector of Police went to clear the 'encroached' road which the man had been claiming to be his land and placed boulders among other things on the path.

After the revenue authorities received a complaint that a road was encroached upon by one local resident, a team of officials visited the place to clear it from encroachment and the man obstructed them, police said. The man sprayed petrol on the officials team including on the MPO and the SI through a pesticide sprayer which he had already filled with petrol, a senior police official said.

The man suddenly lit a lighter and allegedly attempted to set the officials on fire and in the process the fire spread on the MPO and he managed to remove his shirt immediately while other officials saved themselves by running away. The injured MPO was shifted to a government hospital and he sustained 10 per cent burns and his condition is stable now, the official added.

A video of the incident showing a man spraying petrol on some people and suddenly flames erupting was broadcast by local news channels. Based on the complaint from the Tahsildar, a case under section 307 (Attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the man and he was taken into custody, the official said.