Auto Driver Dies by Self-Immolation After Drunk Driving Case in Kushaiguda

A 32-year-old auto driver who was caught for drunk driving set himself ablaze near the Kushaiguda traffic police station on Tuesday night. The deceased, identified as Singireddy Mune Reddy of Bhagat Nagar in Jawaharnagar, was stopped around 8.30 pm during a drunk-driving check near Radhika Crossroads. Police said he tested positive for alcohol, after which his auto was seized. He was told that the vehicle could be released only to a sober acquaintance.

About two hours later, around 10.20 pm, Reddy returned to the station, poured petrol on himself, and set himself on fire on the road outside. Police and locals rushed him to Gandhi Hospital, where he died early on Wednesday while undergoing treatment. Preliminary inquiry revealed that Reddy was addicted to alcohol and was under financial stress. He had taken the auto on rent and feared that the owner would demand it back after the seizure, police said. Malkajgiri police have registered a case and are investigating.