Dispute over partnership in starting a new school on the outskirts of Hyderabad led to gruesome murder of a 32-year-old school teacher at her own house.

A disgruntled male colleague who wanted to launch the school himself burnt her alive at her own home in Alkapuri colony in Boduppal on Tuesday. T Sridevi, the victim, died on the spot while the accused, Shivaprasad, fled before the cops reached the crime scene said Medipally SI Shiva Shankar Rao.

According to the locals, a girl in the neighborhood saw smoke and fire coming out of the victim’s house in the afternoon and alerted the local residents. They broke into the house and found the accused and victim inside. However, Shivaprasad escaped before he was caught, while the victim was already dead.

"The accused had doused the victim with kerosene and set her on fire. The fire spread rapidly and people outside noticed the smoke and blaze,” police said  

Sridevi, who was working in Rishi School at Uppal, had planned to open a new school. She and Shivaprasad have been colleagues for many years and decided to become partners. But bitterness on finance and other aspects of the venture made them hostile. “On Tuesday when Shivaprasad came to her house to discuss the issues, Sridevi was alone and the arguments turned out to be a physical fight. Shivaprasad then attacked her and planned his escape,” said the SI.

The Medipally police has booked a murder case against the accused under IPC section 302 and also formed a special team to nab the absconding accused.