SHAHJAHANPUR (UP): A 45-year-old man succumbed during treatment at a Lucknow hospital days after he set himself afire outside the superintendent of police’s office here over inaction on his complaint, officials said on Saturday.
Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Meena said Tariq Ali, who died in Lucknow’s KGMC Medical College on Friday evening, was allegedly instigated by six-seven people to force the police to intervene in a dispute with his former business partner Umesh Tiwari over the sale of two goods vehicles.
On March 5 Ali, following the instructions of the accused people, poured an inflammable substance on his feet and set himself on fire, Meena said.
According to an FIR, the accused allegedly told Ali that if he created a ruckus in front of the police station, he would get his vehicle back and would not have to return Tiwari’s money, he said.
A case was registered against seven people at the Sadar Bazar police station, the SP said.
While the police were trying to douse the fire using blankets, the accused were making videos of the incident, SP Meena added. One such video also made rounds of social media.
Additional superintendent of police (City) Sanjay Kumar told PTI Ali sustained serious burn injuries and was rushed to a Government Medical College and later referred to KGMC Medical College.
Ali’s post-mortem is being conducted in Lucknow.
The dispute between Ali and Tiwari was already in court and was being investigated by police on court orders, Kumar said earlier.
Three of the seven accused identified as Salman, KK Dixit and Yogendra Yadav were arrested, ASP Kumar said on Saturday.
The rest of the accused are at large and an investigation is underway, he added. (PTI)
