A 65-year-old rice dealer was burnt in Raichur district after he failed to pay for rice he had purchased. Venugopala, the rice dealer, was a native of Tamil Nadu who had been living in Yelahanka from many years.
A 65-year-old rice dealer was burnt in Raichur district after he failed to pay for rice he had purchased. Venugopala, the rice dealer, was a native of Tamil Nadu who had been living in Yelahanka from many years.
Venugopala operated out of Shivanahalli in Yelahanka. He would make purchases of rice stock from M/S Veeravenkata Sathyanarayana Rice Mill, Konapurapet, Manvi taluk, Raichur district.
On Monday evening, the owner of the rice mill in Raichur, Pattabhi Ramaiah, 55, and his son Srinivas, 38, upset that a hearing of the matter in a local court had been cancelled, invited Venugopala for conciliatory talks.
Venugopala, who was in Chennai with his family, had only arrived in Raichur that day for the hearing in court. Pattabhi and his son Srinivas accompanied Venugopala to the rice mill around 12 pm for the talks.
Superintendent of police, Raichur, N Shashikumar, said, “Pattabhi and Srinivas talked with Venugopala for some time. They told Venugopala to pay the money that was due to them. Venugopala said that he could not pay up the entire sum, which amounted to Rs35 lakh. A heated argument ensued, and the father-son duo locked the merchant in a 10 feet x 10 feet room.
They kept harassing Venugopala till 4 pm. Again, there was an argument. Infuriated, Pattabhi and Srinivas poured kerosene from a bottle into the room and set Venugopala on fire.”
Pattabhi and Srinivas rushed Venugopala to a government hospital soon afterwards, and then informed the Manvi police that the rice dealer, who failed to pay the money that was due to them, attempted to commit suicide.
When the police arrived at the hospital, Venugopala, who had suffered 65% burns, was still alive and able to offer a statement. “Pattabhi and his son Srinivas set on fire for not paying the money,” he said, according Shashikumar. At 3 am on Tuesday, Venugopala died.
Pattabhi told police that Venugopala had given him a cheque for Rs35 lakh which bounced. That was why he went to court.
Pattabhi and Srinivas were arrested and produced in the Raichur court. They were placed in police custody till July 8. Venugopala’s wife and two daughters are on their way to Raichur from Chennai.
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