Warangal, Nov 4 (The Hindu) : Congress former MP and candidate for the ongoing Lok Sabha byelection Sircilla Rajaiah has been taken into custody in connection with suspicious death of his daughter-in-law Sarika and her three kids.

The police shifted Mr. Rajaiah, his wife Madhavi and their son Anil Kumar to Subedari police station for questioning. Tension prevailed at Rajaiah's residence with hundreds of women led by AIDWA staging a protest demanding action against the former MP and his family members. The women turned so emotional that they wanted the police to leave the arrested outside the house and they would teach them a lesson.

The Inspector General of Police Navin Chand arrived on the spot and took stock of the situation. The Police Commissioner G. Sudheer Babu said that they were treating the case in a special manner and investigating from every possible angle to verify if it was a suicide or murder.

The police shifted the bodies to MGM Hospital mortuary for post-mortem. Deceased Sarika’s mother and her sister Archana visited the spot and accused Mr. Rajaiah and his family members of killing their kin.

Fire at ex-MP's house in Warangal, four family members dead

Hyderabad, Nov 4 (IANS): Former Congress MP Siricilla Rajaiah's daughter-in-law and three grandsons died in a fire at his house in Andhra Pradesh's Warangal town early Wednesday, police said. Rajaiah immediately withdrew from the Warangal Lok Sabha by-election even as the dead woman's family said it suspected foul play.

S. Sarika and her all three sons - Abhinav, 7, Ayan, 3, and Sriyan, 3 - were burnt to death in the fire that broke out in her bedroom on the first floor of the house.

Fire brigade officials extinguished the fire around 6.30 a.m. It was not clear what caused the fire. Police said they were investigating.

Rajaiah was the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha by-election from Warangal but opted out of the contest after the tragedy.

"We found four bodies in the house. We are investigating. It's premature to say anything now," Warangal Police Commissioner G. Sudheer Babu told the media.

Police questioned Rajaiah and his son S. Anil Kumar to find out what may have happened on Monday night and whether they were present in the house.

Sarika's parents, who live in Nizamabad district, said they doubted if it was an accidental fire. They also ruled out suicide.

Women's groups alleged that Sarika and the children were murdered and demanded action against the former MP and his son.

Sarika had in 2013 lodged a complaint with police that her husband was mentally torturing her seeking more dowry.

Last year, she staged a sit-in in front of Rajaiah's house, seeking justice for her and her children. She also complained that Anil was having an extra-marital affair.

Anil and Sarika met while studying engineering in Hyderabad and went for a registered marriage in 2002. A traditional marriage ceremony was later held with the consent of both the families in 2006.

The Congress last week named Rajaiah as its candidate for the November 21 by-election from the Warangal Lok Sabha seat.

He was elected from Warangal in 2009 but lost last year.

Rajaiah filed nomination papers for the by-election on Monday but told the party leadership after the tragedy that he was opting out of the race.

The Congress is likely to field former central minister Sarve Satyanarayana or former state minister Vijayarama Rao from Warangal.

The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of Telangana Rashtra Samithi's Kadiam Srihari after he became the deputy chief minister of the state.