The four were on the first floor of the bungalow when the fire broke out, allegedly because of a gas leak
The burnt bodies of the daughter-in-law and three grandsons of former Congress parliamentarian Siricilla Rajaiah were found this morning after a fire at his home in Telangana's Warangal.
Sarika and her three sons, Abhinav, 7, and two-year-old twins Ayan and Sriyan, were on the first floor of the bungalow when the fire broke out allegedly because of a gas leak.
Mr Rajaiah, 62, was supposed to file his nomination papers today for the Warangal parliamentary by-election on November 21. He is shell-shocked, say Congress leaders.
The politician was seen sitting on the ground outside his house, weeping and saying repeatedly: "Sonia ma (Congress president Sonia Gandhi), please forgive me."
With Mr Rajaiah opting out, the Congress has picked former union minister Sarve Satyanarayana as its candidate.
The police are investigating whether the fire was an accident.
Ex-Congress lawmaker Siricilla Rajaiah's daughter-in-law Sarika's burnt body was found this morning after a fire inside the house.
Mr Rajaiah, his wife Madhavi and son Anil have been questioned. Sarika, a former IBM employee, had allegedly attempted suicide in March last year. She had also filed a case of harassment and protested outside her father-in-law's house with her children.
Sarika and Anil met in engineering college and married in 2002. The marriage was reportedly strained over Sarika's allegations that her husband was having an affair.
Anil was reportedly on the ground floor and Mr Rajaiah on the second floor at the time of the fire.
"She was not the sort who would kill herself. She was committed to looking after her three children. She has definitely been killed and those responsible should be punished,'' Sarika's sister Anuradha said.