Mustafa murder case: Army jawan shoots himself

Hyderabad, Nov 3: An Army jawan identified as Appala Raju, who was suspected to have been involved in the burning alive of an 11-year-old boy Shaik Mustafa, is said to have committed suicide by shooting himself on Monday in Hyderabad, police said. The jawan is said to have shot himself with his service rifle in Army Garrisson in Mehdipatnam area in the city. Police did not find any suicide note. Army authorities are investigating. Later today afternoon, blaming the police and the army officials for the death of her husband Appala Raju, his wife Anasuya said her husband committed suicide unable to bear the harassment during the grilling sessions. Special Investigation Team (SIT) had recently questioned Appala Raju in connection with the October 9 incident in which the boy was burnt alive at Mehdipatnam Garrison allegedly by armymen. The jawan was last seen at the crime scene where the 11-year-old Mustafa was found with severe burns near Mehdipatnam Army Garrison. The boy, a madarsa student, was a resident of Siddiq Nagar abutting the Garrison. Later, police had lodged a case of murder against unidentified armymen and a SIT was constituted to probe the incident. Army authorities had denied involvement of any jawan in the incident. They have assured cooperation with the police in the investigations. Following Appalraju's suicide, Humayunnagar police registered a case of suspicious death. They initiated an investigation.