26/11 hero’s uncle sets himself afire

K Mohanan, uncle of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, killed in the commando operation in the November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, tried to self-immolate on Thursday evening in front of the Parliament House.

K Mohanan, uncle of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, killed in the commando operation in the November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, tried to self-immolate on Thursday evening in front of the Parliament House.

HT Image

Mohanan (56), who was emotionally attached to Major Unnikrishnan, suffered 98% burns and told doctors at the Capital’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital that he wanted to “feel the pain that his nephew must have felt”.

Sandeep’s father K Unnikrishnan told HT: “What we could not do, he has done. He was very close to Sandeep.” He said his younger brother, who owns a grocery store in Calicut in Kerala, has a son and a daughter.

VA Gupta, additional DCP (New Delhi), said, “Mohanan had come to Delhi on January 30 and prepared for his self-immolation.” The police recovered an identity card and a train ticket on him.

“He told his family that he was going out on a personal visit,” Unnikrishnan said.

Although Mohanan reportedly alerted some people before setting himself ablaze at 5.45pm, no one stopped him.