Hyderabad Tea Stall Owner Sets Himself Ablaze Outside Police Station

A tea seller attempted suicide by setting himself ablaze at a police station in Telangana’s Nizamabad district on Monday morning, leaving him seriously injured and triggering a rescue effort by police personnel and complainants present at the premises. The man, identified as P Sudhakar, a resident of Bhimgal, runs a tea stall at the town’s old bus stand. According to police, Sudhakar had recently been booked in a petty case for operating his shop during late-night hours. Police maintained that the case was registered as part of routine enforcement and had no connection with the incident at the station.

Nizamabad Police Commissioner P Sai Chaitanya rejected any direct link between the police case and Sudhakar’s suicide attempt. “There is no fault on the part of police in the incident that occurred at the Bhimgal police station,” the commissioner said.

According to preliminary information, a grocery shop located opposite Sudhakar’s tea stall was allegedly unhappy that he was not purchasing cigarettes from the shop. The shop owner allegedly sent two men to threaten Sudhakar, police said.

The commissioner said Sudhakar appeared to have been distressed by the alleged threats and later arrived at the Bhimgal police station carrying a bottle of petrol and a matchbox.

At around 9:45 am, Sudhakar allegedly doused himself with petrol and set himself ablaze on the station premises. Police personnel and complainants immediately sprang into action, managing to extinguish the flames before rushing him to Nizamabad Government Hospital.

Sudhakar’s condition was reported to be serious.

Officials reiterated that the petty case registered against Sudhakar for keeping his shop open late was unrelated to the alleged threats by the two men.