BENGALURU: A mother and son died, while the father is battling for life after unidentified miscreants locked their house from outside and set it on fire. The tragic incident was reported in Manchanabele village in Magadi taluk of Ramanagar district on the outskirts of the city in the early hours of Sunday. Property dispute is said to be the reason behind the incident.
The deceased have been identified as Vijayalakshmi, 45, and her son Bharath Gowda, 20, who was a mechanical engineering student at a private college on Bengaluru-Mysuru Road. The father, Bojaiah, who has sustained burns, is undergoing treatment in the ICU of a private hospital and his condition is said to be critical. He owns agricultural land in his village.
The incident took place around 1 am and it was a well-planned arson. The assailants locked the front and rear doors from outside, poured petrol and kerosene on the building, and then set it ablaze. To prevent neighbours from rushing to the aid of the family, the miscreants had also latched the doors of the houses nearby.
“Hearing the screams of the family members, some neighbours did manage to come out of their houses and tried to put out the fire but it went in vain. They informed one of Bojaiah’s relatives and an alert was made to the fire department. A fire tender rushed to the spot which doused the fire. The couple and their son were rushed to hospitals. Bharath died in the morning, while his mother breathed her last in the afternoon,” the police said.
“We are investigating the case from all angles. It is suspected that a property dispute could be the reason behind the incident. We will question Bojaiah once he recovers. We are gathering information from their relatives to know whether the family had any rivalry with others,” the police said.
The police have reportedly detained three suspects in connection with the incident and are questioning them. SP of Ramanagar district, Dr Chandragupta, and other senior police officers visited the spot. A case has been registered at the Tavarekere police station.
Not first attempt
Relatives of the family said that it was not the first time that an attempt was made to eliminate the family. It is alleged that a similar bid was made a year ago but the family members were lucky to escape. They also alleged that the police did not entertain the family when they went to file a complaint.
