India: Old man ventures self-immolation over police inaction in land case

Kanpur: A 55-year-old man set himself on fire by pouring petrol protesting police inaction in a land dispute case in Shyam Nagar area here on Sunday, as was reported.

Identified as Ishwar Chandra Dikshit, the old man has been admitted with serious burn injuries to the Lala Lajpat Rai hospital here.

His daughters alleged that he took the extreme step due to police inaction in a dispute over their land at Bidhnu area in the district.

He has been living on rent in the house of Radhey Shyam Tiwari at Chanakyapuri in Shyam Nagar for the past four years.

His daughter Bhumika told reporters that he had bought a plot measuring 200 square yards in Gangapur Colony in Bidhnu from a woman Sunita Verma in the year 2017.

On Friday, the family reached the plot to offer puja for beginning the construction of the boundary wall.

"We were shocked when one Ghanshyam Singh Gaur came to the plot along with police and claimed the plot belongs to him.

He had an altercation with my father who then approached Shyam Nagar police outpost and later Bidhnu police station, but no action was taken.

Frustrated and disturbed over police inaction, he attempted to immolate himself," she amply said.

Inspector Chakeri police station, Madhur Mishra said: "Further investigations are on in this connection."