Lucknow/Kannauj, Feb 1 (PTI) A man set himself on fire outside the Chief Minister's Office in Lucknow on Monday to draw the attention of the authorities to a land dispute case, police said.
Umashankar, 36, a resident of the Indragarh area in Kannauj district, suffered 30 per cent burns and undergoing treatment Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civil Hospital, they said.
The incident took place in the morning when Umashankar arrived at the Lok Bhawan in the Hazratganj area of the city and poured kerosene and set himself afire, police said. A police team swung into action and doused the flames.
Police Commissioner D K Thakur said Umashankar's land was illegally grabbed and he had complained to the village head and the lekhpal (revenue officer) concerned to get the encroachers removed from it but they had not helped him.
He came to Lucknow on a roadways bus in the morning and reached Gate No. 2 of the Lok Bhawan, which has the CM's Office, and set himself on fire, Thakur said. A probe into the matter is on, police said.
Meanwhile, as soon as the news of the self-immolation bid reached Kannauj district, senior officers, including the district magistrate and the SP reached Umashankar's Gudara village in Indragarh and talked to his family members.
Umashankar's wife told them that they had a dispute over a piece of land with neighbour Shivkumar, who used to threaten him. DM Rakesh Mishra and SP Prashant Verma assured family members that they will get justice.
Officials were asked to measure the land and look into the matter.
