Man who set himself on fire over demolition drive dies in J&K

The man, identified as Amir Hamid Shah, a resident of Haran Ganderbal, was undergoing treatment at the Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, police added.

The 27-year-old man, who set himself on fire over a demolition drive in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir on February 22, succumbed to injuries on Saturday, police said.

Shah had climbed the slab of the under-construction complex owned by his family and set himself ablaze after sprinkling some combustible material over himself to stop the demolition drive (Agencies/Representative use)

The man, identified as Amir Hamid Shah, a resident of Haran Ganderbal, was undergoing treatment at the Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, police added.

“He succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS this morning,” said an official of Ganderbal police station.

Shah had climbed the slab of the under-construction complex owned by his family and set himself ablaze after sprinkling some combustible material over himself to stop the demolition drive conducted by the irrigation and flood control department, along with tehsildar and police at Gundrahman. Officials had said that some “illegal constructions” had come up around 100 metres of the Nallah Sindh water body.

Soon after he set himself on fire, people rushed to douse the flames. A video of the incident has also gone viral on social media.

Following the incident, the divisional commissioner of Kashmir, PK Pole, ordered Khurshid Ahmad Shah, additional district development commissioner (ADDC), Ganderbal to conduct a time-bound inquiry into the incident. The ADDC was asked to enquire into the whole episode and furnish his findings along with definite comments/recommendations within 10 days, said officials in the know of the matter.

It was not clear whether the inquiry has been completed as the time period has lapsed. Calls to ADDC Shah did not elicit any response.