After a tiff with his girlfriend over the phone, a 24-year-old man named Shivam allegedly set himself on fire with petrol while travelling in an auto rickshaw in northeast Delhi’s Jyoti Nagar on Sunday night.
Police said the man, his cousin and a co-passenger, who were travelling with him in the auto, also sustained burn injuries. He was carrying the bottle of petrol inside his jacket and his relatives said they have no clue why he was carrying.
Police officer asserted that “While Shivam got 70% burns, his cousin sustained 20% burns. The third passenger escaped with minor injuries. All three are under treatment.”
According to police, the incident took place Sunday night at 9 pm when the resident of Ghaziabad, was travelling to Loni in an auto with his cousin Arjun (24).
A senior police officer stated that “Shivam was talking to a woman who lives in Kolkata over the phone. It appears they had a fight after which Shivam was upset. He was carrying petrol in a bottle with him. In a rage, he suddenly poured the petrol and set himself afire with a lighter. The auto driver immediately stopped the three-wheeler and alerted passersby who then reported the incident to the police.”
“We are yet to register the statement of Shivam as he is critically injured. We have filed a case of attempt to commit suicide and are probing the matter,” said DCP Atul Thakur.