Following heated argument with his girlfriend over phone, a 25-year-old man allegedly set himself ablaze by pouring petrol on him on a moving auto-rickshaw, injuring two of his co-passengers, said police on Monday.
The man, who has sustained grievous burn injuries in the incident that had taken place on Sunday night at Loni Gol Chakkar in Delhi’s Jyoti Nagar, is battling for life. Eyewitnesses said people watched as a man resembling a fireball was seen running around. Some even rushed to save him and poured water over him to douse the flames.
It has been found that the man had bought petrol from a nearby petrol pump as his bike had run out of fuel, said a police official, adding that he was returning with petrol in an auto-rickshaw when the argument with his girlfriend broke out over phone.
The man has been identified as Shivam, a resident of Loni, Ghaziabad, while his co-passengers, his cousin Arjun (24) and one Bhagwan Singh (60), also sustained burn injuries who were also inside the auto-rickshaw.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North-east district, Atul Thakur, said, “A police control room (PCR) call was received regarding the incident, following which officials of Jyoti Nagar police station rushed to Loni Gol Chakkar. On reaching the spot, they found three people had sustained burns. All of them were taken to Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital for treatment.”
The DCP said, “Shivam had sustained severe burns, while the injuries of the other two others were minor in nature. The auto driver had a narrow escape as he abandoned his auto-rickshaw and fled from the spot.”
“Shivam had sustained critical burn injuries and according to the doctors, more than 80 per cent of his body has been badly burnt while his cousin Arjun had 20 per cent and Bhagwan Singh 40 per cent burn injuries,” said police official.
A police official said they were trying to ascertain the identity of the petrol pump from where Shivam had purchased a litre of petrol as the sale of petrol in this manner has been prohibited by the Government. Petrol being a highly incendiary fuel is not to be sold in bottles. Suitable action will be initiated against the owner of the pump as it concerns public safety, the official added.