Date:15/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/15/stories/2006111522100300.htm

New Delhi

Man sets himself afire at ITO

Staff Reporter

Was angry over having been "wrongly" arrested in a case

NEW DELHI: A 45-year-old retired Border Security Force (BSF) employee set himself afire outside Police Headquarters here on Tuesday. He was admitted to JP Hospital with 90 per cent burns and was stated to be in very critical condition.

It all happened around 12-30 p.m. when Shashi Kumar Shukla reached the main entrance of the Police Headquarters. He began pouring some liquid on himself and, before the security personnel posted there could understand what the matter was, he set himself ablaze.

The security personnel managed to put out the fire and the staff of a Police Control Room van stationed nearby rushed him to hospital. Later, Shashi Kumar Shukla was identified as a resident of Hastsal at Uttam Nagar in West Delhi. It is learnt that he was angry over having been "wrongly" arrested by the Uttam Nagar police in a case despite the fact that he was the complainant.

Delhi Police spokesperson Deependra Pathak said enquiries from the Uttam Nagar police revealed that Shukla lodged a complaint with them on October 4 stating that he was co-owner of an LIG Flat at Hastsal and wanted to carry out some construction in it for carrying out some commercial activity. However, his 70-year-old neighbour K.R. Puri allegedly did not allow him to carry out the construction. As such, Shukla wanted the police to take action.

On November 5, he again lodged a complaint with the area SHO tation seeking legal action. "Enquiries revealed that the dispute was of a civil nature and so the complaint was filed on November 12," said Mr. Pathak.

"When he came to know about it, Mr. Shukla went to the police station and allegedly started abusing Mr. Puri and the police," said Mr. Pathak, adding that when he did not stop even after repeated warnings, the police booked him under Sections 93 and 97 of the Delhi Police Act. He was produced in a Rohini court that levied a fine of Rs. 100 on him.