Corporators's car set ablaze following altercation with villagers

They also blamed him for the death, though he denied their allegations resulting in an argument, after which a group of villagers allegedly damaged and later set fire to his vehicle even as police rescued the corporator from being attacked by the enraged group, the official said. A case has been registered,he added.

Tension prevailed in a village in Khammam district on Tuesday after a group of villagers allegedly set ablaze a TRS corporator's car following an argument with him over the death of a fellow- villager recently, police said. The group also comprising family members of the man, who had died due to some "health issues" on August 18 while doing some welding work at the premises of a function-hall of Ramamurthy Nayak, First Division Corporator of the Khammam Municipal Corporation (KMC), sought to know the reasons for the death and also held him "responsible," they said.

The incident happened when the corporator had gone to Kaikondaigudem village for reviewing developmental works. A few villagers and the family members obstructed him resulting in arguments between them, after which the angry group allegedly damaged the car in which the corporator visited the village, police said.

In a video some men and women are purportedly seen hitting the vehicle with stones and trying to detach its doors and later some of them setting it on fire. According to a senior police official, the group and relatives of the deceased villager also tried to attack the corporator, who hid himself in a school building and called up the police who rescued him.

"On August 18, three villagers had gone to the function-hall of the corporator to do some work when one of them suddenly collapsed following fits and was taken to a hospital but was declared brought dead. A case of suspicious death was registered and his family had demanded compensation, the police official said.

When the corporator went to the village today, people assembled in large numbers seeking to know from him the reasons for the mans death, the official said. They also blamed him for the death, though he denied their allegations resulting in an argument, after which a group of villagers allegedly damaged and later set fire to his vehicle even as police rescued the corporator from being attacked by the enraged group, the official said.

A case has been registered,he added. The mother of the deceased villager has also alleged that the corporator kicked her daughter during the arguments.PTI VVK BN WELCOME BN WELCOME