Bengaluru man attempts to set himself on fire near Raj Bhavan for media attention: Report

The Bengaluru man doused himself in petrol, just as reporters gathered for a press briefing by a local politician.

A 26-year-old man from Hebbal, Bengaluru, attempted to set himself on fire near Raj Bhavan on Sunday afternoon, in what the police have described as a desperate attempt to gain media attention.

Zuhail Ahmed doused himself in petrol outside the official residence building of the Karnataka Governor in Bengaluru. (HT File)

According to a report by Deccan Herald, Zuhail Ahmed doused himself in petrol around 4.30 pm, just as reporters gathered for a press briefing by a local politician.

The media intervened quickly, grabbing a plastic bottle from him before he could ignite the fuel, the report added. Police later confirmed that Ahmed was not carrying a matchbox or lighter. Bystanders, who witnessed the scene, immediately rushed to his aid, pouring water over him before handing him over to the authorities.

Ahmed was subsequently booked by the Vidhana Soudha police for causing public nuisance. During his interaction with reporters, he claimed that he had been assaulted by his wife, leading to his hospitalization. He explained that his act of self-harm was intended to draw attention to his personal struggles, the DH report further added.

The police investigation revealed that a prior complaint had been lodged by his wife with the Chikkaballapur police, accusing him of cruelty under IPC Section 498A. According to the police, Ahmed works as an engineer at a private company in Hebbal, while his wife resides in Chikkaballapur.

In another recent case, a 32-year-old man in Davangere allegedly killed his two young children before dying by suicide, deeply distressed over the death of his wife

The tragic incident occurred on Thursday. The man, identified as Uday, left behind a death note in which he expressed his enduring love for his late wife and wrote that he was "joining her along with their children," police said.