APCC chief D. Srinivas’ poll debacle in Telangana had some unthinkable ramifications as an engineering graduate took his own life on Saturday at the Osmania University campus to keep a promise made to Goddess Maisamma. P. Eshan Reddy had allegedly promised the goddess to make the ultimate sacrifice if Mr Srinivas lost the bypolls.
Eshan, who passed B.Tech (electronics and communication) from SCIENT Engineering College and was preparing for his GRE and Toefl exams, immolated himself in front of the Osmania University library here on Saturday. He was a native of Basanthpur in Medak district and was staying with his uncle, Mr P. Gopal Reddy, at Narayanaguda here.
The police recovered a suicide note in which Eshan stated that he was committing suicide since he had made a promise to Goddess Maisamma to sacrifice himself to her if Mr Srinivas lost the byelection in the Nizamabad Assembly constituency. “I congratulate the Telangana people on the victory (of) TRS candidates in the byelections. As promised, I am sacrificing my life and I am proud of this,” the note read.
Eshan, in the note, also blamed Telugu Desam Party and Congress leaders for being responsible for the death more than 400 students and Telangana supporters. “He went out of the house at 5.30 pm on Friday and we thought that he had gone to a film or to meet his friends. We never expected that he would take such a drastic step,” said his brother Sravan Reddy.
The deceased’s father, Mr Indrasen Reddy, an agriculturist in Basantpur, rushed to the Osmania University after learning about the incident. Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who also visited the university, consoled him.
Students found Eshan’s charred body in the bushes in front of the OU library early on Saturday morning. They alerted the JAC leaders, who, in turn, informed the police.
“The police found his bag, a petrol can and match box at the crime scene. There were no struggle marks on the body indicating that it is a clear cut suicide. A dog squad was also pressed into the action,” said a Task Force police official.
The suicide note also stated: “Congress and TD leaders like D. Srinivas, Janna Reddy, Damodar Reddy, Sridhar Babu, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Nagam Janardhan Reddy, E. Dayakar, T. Devender Goud and Srihari are traitors of Telangana. “I request JAC to eliminate them or boycott them. It’s because of them more than 400 students and Telangana supporters had died since protests began in November last year,” the suicide note said.Eshan also requested Mr Chandrasekhar Rao and JAC leaders to take his body in a procession from the university to Telangana martyrs’ memorial at Gun Park.
He also wanted that his body should not be sent for post mortem examination. The police have, however, conducted an autopsy.
Meanwhile, several advocates approached the State Human Rights Commission seeking permission for Eshan’s funeral procession and the SHRC directed Joint CP Mr R. S. Praveen Kumar to supervise the security arrangements for the procession. Orders were issued to allow 100 people to accompany Eshan’s funeral procession and to allow the body to be kept at Gun Park for 15 minutes.
“On Friday, Eshan Reddy sent a message to his friends stating, “Jai Telangana, Telangana Udyamaniki Vandanam (Slute to the Telangana Movement). We should be united in this fight,” said one of his friends.
The suicide triggered fresh tensions in Osmania University as students clashed with the police at NCC when they did not allow them to take the body to the state Assembly. As many as 5,000 students started the possession at Arts College in the University and proceeded towards the NCC Gate. Even as the police struggled to stop the students at the NCC Gate, they barged out of the campus and started their rally.
On their way to Gun Park, the students raised slogans and several shop owners closed their shops voluntarily and joined the procession. The body was taken in procession through Vidyanagar, RTC Crosssroads, Indira Park and Gun Park.
Mr Chandrasekhar Rao, along with the 12 newly-elect MLAs and Mr M. Kodandaram, convener of all-party Joint Action Committee, BJP leaders, and pro-Telangana groups offered their respects to Eshan at Gun Park.
Later, the body was taken to Basantpur, where the last rites will be performed on Sunday.
The Osmania University police have registered a case under Section 174 (suspicious death) of CrPC and are investigating.