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Faced by financial crunch, man sets self ablaze in Gonda
A 25-year-old man in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district set himself on fire after a nationalised bank refused to give him a loan. He suffered 80% burn injuries and is currently under treatment. The district magistrate has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Disheartened by a nationalised bank’s loan refusal, a 25-year-old man set himself ablaze by pouring petrol on himself in U.P’s Gonda district, on Wednesday, police officials said.
They said the victim, Divyaraj Pandey, a resident of a village under Gonda’s Itiyathok police station limits, suffered 80% burn injuries in the incident and he was rushed to the Gonda district hospital from where he was referred to Lucknow’s King George’s Medical University.
CMS Trauma Centre Prof Sandeep Tewari said, “The patient has been admitted and the treatment has begun. He shall continue to remain under close observation.”
They said the victim’s friend also suffered burns after seeing him in flames.
Inspector in-charge of Gonda City police station, Sanjay Kumar Gupta, said the investigation into the matter is on into what circumstances led him to set himself ablaze.
Gonda district magistrate, Neha Sharma, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and asked the city magistrate to submit the findings at the earliest.
Gupta said that the victim’s friend, Pradeep Pandey, who also suffered 25% burn injuries while trying to rescue him, said the victim was upset as his business loan was not sanctioned by the bank despite all efforts. However, Gupta added that the police were yet to verify the reason for refusal with bank officials.
