Upon receiving a series of reports of houses abruptly catching fire by themselves in Sanambatla village, 15 km from Tirupati, recently, the police began an investigation and found a miffed teenage girl from the same village behind the deed.
After a series of incidents wherein 12 houses in their village caught fire by themselves over a few days, the villagers feared that it resulted from witchcraft or black magic.
However, a police team led by Deputy Superintendent (Chandragiri) T.D. Yashwanth and Circle Inspector Obulesh inspected the village and found no traces of chemicals usually used in such black magic at the sight of the accidents. They found no mechanical or electrical fault that could have resulted in the accidents either.
Upon investigation, it was found that a village resident Pillapalem Keerthi (19), daughter of Raja Reddy, was behind the accidents. Keerthi failed her Intermediate exam and has been staying at home. Reportedly, the neighbours troubled her mother by making hurtful queries about her, following which her mother would scold and reprimand her.
Miffed by this, Keerthi wanted to teach a lesson to her mother and the neighbours. First, she set her house on fire and, when none suspected, started setting other houses in the village on fire as well.
“The girl also confessed that no one else was involved,” Additional Superintendent (Admin) Venkata Rao has told the media.
Keerthi was booked under sections 435 and 506 of IPC. The police also recovered ₹30,000 cash from her possession, which she earlier claimed to have gotten destroyed when her house caught on fire.
