© ANICyberabad police speaking to media on Friday.
Within hours of Cyberabad police cracking the gangrape and murder of the veterinary doctor in Shamshabad, officials received word of another woman's burnt body being found barely five km from the spot of the gangrape of the vet.
Police commissioner VC Sajjanar told TOI that
prima facie it seems to be a case of self-immolation which has nothing to do with the gangrape and murder. The second body was found engulfed in flames adjacent to a small temple in Shamshabad area.
Locals returning from a Telugu film shooting told police that they noticed flames near the Ayyappa temple on the road to Siddulagutta at around 8.30pm. When they got close, they realised that it as a woman's body on fire.
They tried to douse the flames with clothes hanging nearby but couldn't as they flames were intense. Officials said a matchbox and a partially burned plastic can were found near the body. The place was smelling of kerosene.
The locals alerted the police and the 108 ambulance service. "We have examined some witnesses.
It seems to be a case of self-immolation. The temple is at a deserted spot. The identity of woman is yet to be established. We have informed all police stations about the body and are looking for CCTV footage in the nearby areas," Shamshabad DCP N Prakash Reddy said. A case of suspicious death has been registered.
Comment: Telangana: Second woman found burnt likely committed suicide, say police
According to police sources, initial investigation into the death of the 35-year-old woman indicated that she committed suicide by self immolation. Police claimed she was suffering with mental health problems. Her charred body was found at a deserted place on Siddulagutta road.
Police sources said the CCTV footage recovered showed the woman walking towards the temple on Friday evening carrying a plastic bag, containing a bottle with apparently gasoline inside.
"It preliminarily appears to be suicide as per the burn injuries and the scene of offence observed so far. However, further information would be given after post-mortem report (is received) and her identity is established after looking at CCTV footage further. But, it preliminarily appears to be suicide as per available CCTV visuals and the things found with her," a police official said.
An eyewitness noticed the woman siting at the temple and crying. Police sources added that the woman was also seen speaking in Hindi, which is why they suspect she was a north Indian.
The woman was found burning later, police sources said. However, other possibilities are also being probed, they added.
On Friday, the woman's body was moved to a government hospital for an autopsy. It is yet to be established if the woman was sexually assaulted or murdered.
A case has already been registered by the Samshabad police and all the angles are being investigated.
Comment: Telangana: Second woman found burnt likely committed suicide, say police