Police have registered a murder case against the accused who is the half-brother of the deceased.

Hyderabad: A 25-year-old man died on Sunday, March 29, about a week after his family members were set on fire over a property dispute.

The deceased has been identified as Nenavath Venkatesh. His father Hanumanth and stepmother Ramani Bai are in critical condition, while his brother Shiva escaped with minor injuries. Their sister Naveena was not at home during the incident.

Police have registered a murder case against the accused, Anar Singh, who is the half-brother of the deceased.

According to police, the incident took place around 1 am when Singh allegedly went to the terrace of the house. He is suspected to have poured petrol into the house through a hole in the roof and set it on fire while the family members were inside.

It is also alleged that he locked the front door from outside, preventing them from escaping. As per a complaint, he even threatened the victims during the incident.

Villagers, who heard the screams, rushed to the spot, broke open the door and shifted the injured to a hospital.

Doctors said Hanumanth suffered 40 percent burns, while Ramani Bai and Venkatesh had 90 percent burn injuries.

Police said the accused had an ongoing dispute with his father over around six acres of land after the death of his mother five months ago. He was also demanding a share in the money received under a government scheme.

The dispute had recently escalated, and both sides had approached the Pargi police station on March 18.

Initially, police had booked the accused for attempt to murder after the incident. Following the death of Venkatesh, the case has now been changed to murder.