Man stages ‘petrol bomb’ drama to get post in BJP, held

Coimbatore: Frustrated at not being given a post, a 32-year-old Mettupalayam resident claiming himself as a BJP cadre played a trick to get the attention of the party but ended in police net.Around 9.30pm on Saturday, J Viswanathan, of Kumarapuram on Annur Road, called the Mettupalayam police inspector over the phone. He alleged that Mettupalayam urban district president of BJP Umashankar and state executive committee member Sathish had hurled a petrol bomb at him at Tankmedu.Immediately, a police team rushed to the spot and found a burnt white shirt. Police took Viswanathan to the station but did not conduct an inquiry as he was drunk.On Sunday morning, Viswanathan spilled the beans when police interrogated him. Viswanathan told the police that he was expecting a party post for the last four months. As it did not materialise, he staged a drama to get the party’s attention. He doused his shirt with petrol and burnt it before calling police to inform them that Umashankar and Sathish had hurled a petrol bomb at him.A police officer said Viswanathan had bought one litre of petrol from a petrol bunk on Annur road. They have collected the CCTV footage from the petrol bunk. He consumed alcohol and filled the petrol in the empty beer bottle before smashing it on the shirt. Later, he set the shirt on fire.Police registered a case against Viswanathan under sections 153, 203, 435, 504, 505 (I) and 506 (ii) of the Indian Penal Code and arrested him. He was remanded in judicial custody on Sunday night.Viswanathan was working in a bakery for the last eight months. He was a member of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar Peravai. Four months ago, he registered his name online to join BJP. He had separated from his wife more than a year ago, and was residing in a rental house.