MAN TRIES TO IMMOLATE SELF, WIFE, SIX KIDS IN KANPUR DEHAT

KANPUR: In a desperate effort to save a piece of land supposedly belonging to “a graveyard”, a man on Thursday tried to immolate himself, his wife and six children in the age group of two to 12 years in Moosa Nagar area of Kanpur Dehat, the police said.

Superintendent of police, Kanpur Dehat, Keshav Chowdhary said, “The man attempted self-immolation with his wife and six children in Moosa Nagar. They have suffered 10% to 15% burns.”

“The man is the caretaker of the graveyard and claimed that the land has been encroached and construction work was being carried out there. Police are looking into the reasons that led to this incident. A police constable’s face got burnt (while trying to put out the fire). The lawand-order situation was normal,” the SP added.

The victims were taken to a community health centre from where they were shifted to the district hospital.

Later, the family was referred to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur where their condition was stated to be stable, additional superintendent of police Ghanshyam said.

The caretaker was protesting against construction work being carried out by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader near Mukteshwari temple gate in Moosa Nagar area. Before taking the extreme step, the man claimed the land was marked as a graveyard in the revenue records, but the authorities were aiding BJP leader Vijay Soni in the alleged land grab.

BJP leader Vijay Soni said he was constructing the building on the land he had bought near the temple. The revenue department measured the land and gave him possession. On the other hand, the man said Soni was building on the graveyard and, despite many complaints to officials concerned, no action was taken.

The man, who lives nearby, reached the construction site with his family on Thursday.

He sprinkled kerosene on himself, his wife and children and allegedly set all of them afire. Apart from him, his wife aged 30, and six kids aged two, five, seven, eight, 10 and 12 years respectively suffered burns. Police constable Satyendra Kumar was also injured when he tried to save them and put out the fire.

Chowdhary and chief development officer Saumya Pandey visited the injured in the district hospital from where they have been shifted to Kanpur.