Lucknow: Lucknow's high-security zone Hazratganj having the state assembly and various ministries located there appear to be fast emerging as a self-immolation bid point with three to four protesters daily trying to resort to this drastic measure.
On Monday itself, a middle-aged man immolated himself in front of the state assembly, suffering 60 per cent burn injuries, while a four-member Barabanki family tried to set themselves on fire.
Besides these two incidents, which came to the notice of media, at least three other self-immolation bids were foiled by police.
"On Monday, two incidents of people attempting self-immolation came to notice of the media in which they had poured some inflammable liquid on themselves,” Lucknow’s Central Deputy Commissioner of Police told on Tuesday.
"Besides these two incidents, the police had foiled three other immolation bids by protesters outside the UP Vidhan Bhavan," he said. The DCP added that on average, three to four cases of self-immolation bids occur daily outside the UP Vidhan Bhavan.
"These attempts, however, are foiled by alert policemen," he added.
"The area around the UP Vidhan Bhavan, which also has the UP Chief Minister's office Lok Bhavan located there, has 15 anti-immolation squads deployed there to avert any self-immolation bid,” said Barma.
“Every team comprises three to four security personnel and is equipped with a fire extinguisher, blanket and first-aid treatment items,” he added.
"Apart from this, a total of seven police teams have been deployed in the Hazratganj with the sole mandate to patrol the area and foil self-immolation bids by protesters," the DCP said.
"Asked about the reasons behind the apparent spurt in self-immolation bids," the DCP said most of the cases relate to desperation out of unemployment, bad financial condition, cases of land-grabbing and harassment by people in their villages.
"The police try to resolve the victims'' problems and appraise their local district officials of problems faced by these people with a recommendation to resolve their issues,” the DCP said.
He said in most of the self-immolation bids, cases are not registered. "Cases are registered against those who get burn injuries or remain adamant on their stand. Apart from this, people seeking to instigate others to immolate themselves also are booked," Barma said.
A middle-aged man, Surendra Chakraborty, had immolated himself in front of the state assembly on Monday and sustained 60 per cent burn injuries.
"The policemen deputed there tried to save him and rushed him to hospital. He sustained 60 per cent burn injuries," Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujit Pandey had told on Monday.
"The victim had some dispute with his landlord and the matter is in court. We are trying to find out more details," Pandey had said, adding four teams have been formed to work on the case.
In another incident, four members of a Barabanki district family attempted to set themselves ablaze outside the Vidhan Bhavan building on Monday due to financial distress, but their attempts were foiled by police personnel present there.
"Barabanki district resident Naseer, his wife and two minor sons tried to immolate themselves near gate number 2 of the Vidhan Bhavan in the afternoon by pouring a liquid on themselves. The policemen present at the spot, however, caught hold of them before they could find a matchstick to set themselves ablaze," Barma had told on Monday.
"On counselling, Naseer told police that he was facing financial hardship after his shop in Barabanki was demolished in an anti-encroachment drive and this has led the family to take the extreme step," the DCP said.
"As the family belongs to another district, I spoke to the district magistrate and they will be handed over to a police team from Barabanki," Barma added.
On October 13, a 35-year-old woman from Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh had set herself on fire near the Uttar Pradesh assembly. She succumbed to her injuries at a Lucknow hospital the following day.
A Maharajganj resident, identified as Alok Prasad, has been arrested on the charge of abetment of suicide in connection with the incident. Lucknow Police Commissioner Pandey had said the woman, identified as Anjali Tiwari, had immolated herself near the UP BJP office.
"She was living with a man named Asif Raja as her relationship with her husband was not good and Raja had gone abroad," Pandey had said.
(PTI)
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