Flag burnt in mysterious fire

HYDERABAD: A Tricolour hoisted on Saturday on the occasion of the 59th Republic Day at Moula Ali was burnt partially under mysterious circumstances.
A local politician of Hanuman Basti in Moula Ali, Laxman Goud, hoisted the flag in the morning. It was at around 2 pm when passersby noticed that the flag post had caught fire. The fire spread as the decoration papers caught fire and it soon spread to the rope and the flag.Locals doused the fire but by then the Tricolour was partially burnt, Malkajgiri police inspector M Madhusudhan Reddy said.
"It is suspected that the incense sticks lighted near the flag post might have sparked the fire," Madhusudhan Reddy said.
Police also suspect that a lighted matchstick careless thrown by someone might have caused the fire.
Police said sabotage angle would also be looked into. Clues Team personnel reached the spot to collect evidence of any possible sabotage.
It was also said that two political groups were having rivalry with each other over gaining an upper hand in the locality. Police are looking if this would have led to the incident.
A case of mischief was booked but would be altered to relevant sections of insulting the national flag if investigations prove the sabotage angle, police said.
Mild tension prevailed in the locality after the incident. Locals staged a dharna demanding arrest of the culprits for insulting the national flag. Police forces were rushed to prevent any untoward incident.