Man sets himself ablaze at DAC, dies

An unidentified person committed suicide by sprinkling petrol on himself outside the main gate of the District Administrative Complex (DAC) here on Monday. The man died on the spot. He was about 65 years old and an Amritdhari Sikh.

A police team led by Sub-inspector Avtar Singh, SHO, Sadar police, reached the spot immediately along with a posse of policemen. SHO Avtar Singh, with reference to the eyewitnesses, said the deceased had just come out of the DAC and sprinkled petrol on himself outside the main gate. He had brought the petrol with himself and lit the fire with a matchbox.

Nanak Singh, an employee of the office, brought a fire extinguisher but his efforts were in vain. The police brought him to the local Civil Hospital where the doctors declared him dead. The body has been kept in the mortuary of the hospital where it would be kept for 72 hours for identification. It is speculated that the deceased had come to the office for some work but it could not be done.