Dalit man sets himself ablaze after ‘assault’; accused arrested

Agra: A 22-year-old Dalit man sustained severe burn injuries after he set himself on fire following an altercation with a local farmer who allegedly assaulted him and used caste-based slurs against him in public, leaving him severely distressed, police said on Saturday.

The incident took place in Gangdhari village under Khatauli police station in Muzaffarnagar around 9pm on Friday and a CCTV footage of Himanshu Kumar, purportedly showing him pouring petrol and setting himself on fire, has since surfaced online.

Khatauli DSP, Ramashish Yadav, said locals rushed to his aid and managed to douse the flames before taking him to a nearby hospital. “Doctors referred him to a higher medical centre, where he is undergoing treatment. His condition is stable,” he said.

Himanshu’s brother, Bittu, lodged a police complaint stating that his brother worked as a labourer in the field of a local farmer, Gaurav alias Tinku. He said on Friday, Gaurav had asked Himanshu to load flowers in a cart. “When he refused, he slapped him... My brother felt insulted, following which he took the extreme step,” he told police.

A case was registered under relevant sections of BNS, including 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 108 (abetment to suicide), along with section 3(2)(V) of the SC/ST Act. The accused has been arrested and further investigation is underway, the DSP said.