An Ujjian-based Public Distribution System (PDS) shop owner attempted suicide by setting himself ablaze near Home Minister Babulal Gaur’s residence on Monday afternoon; police foiled his attempt and later arrested him.
According to the police, a man tried to self-immolate near Home Minister Gaur’s residence but before he could succeed he was nabbed by the police. At around 4 pm the man appeared near Gaur’s residence and took a bottle filled with Kerosene and tried to set him ablaze but was stopped from the act by the deployed police personnel.
The man was identified as Manish Goyal of laxmi Nagar Ujjain and owned a fair price shop. When he was questioned he told that Ujjain district collector cancelled license of his PDS shop and after losing the shop, the money lenders who had earlier helped him started demanding return of their money and used to harass him regularly.
Home Minister Babulal Gaur has issued orders to senior police officials to conduct investigation into the matter and take action against the accused who have harassed the victim to the extreme which has forced him to commit suicide. Goyal claimed that he was harassed for refunding the money and some local leaders were also involved in harassing him. He had alleged that he had paid the loan amount but the lenders were demanding interest which has been imposed over the loan.
Police were hinted earlier that a person might attempt to set himself ablaze after which police were alert and kept on eye in the nearby areas of Gaur’s residence. The police have registered a case of attempt of suicide against the protestor.