Bhubaneswar, Sept. 3: Sandip Hati, who had been suspended from the post of home guard three years ago, is now battling for life after he set himself on fire near Naveen Nivas, the chief minister's residence, last night.
The 45-year-old former home guard, who has been admitted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in a critical condition, allegedly set himself afire to protest against his retrenchment.
Eyewitnesses said Hati came walking towards the Naveen Nivas from the Palaspally side around midnight on Friday. He had a kerosene can and a matchbox in his hand. He poured the kerosene all over his body and set him ablaze. After the fire around his body blazed, he started running towards the chief minister's residence. However, security personnel posted at the Naveen Nivas got hold of him before he reached the chief minister's residence and rushed him to Capital Hospital.
From Capital, he was later rushed to the burn unit of SCB as his condition worsened.
At SCB, Hati told newspersons that he took the step as he did not get justice.
"He has got over 65 per cent burn injury and is under observation of a special team. We are keeping a close watch on his condition as cases with respiratory organ burns are always at a high risk," said Arun Chaudhury, head of plastic surgery at SCB.
Hati has been given a special air-conditioned cabin at SCB, and the government is bearing his treatment cost.
Police commissioner Y.B. Khurania, who visited Hati at the hospital today, said: "The incident will be probed. While the assistant commissioner of police of the concerned zone will investigate how and under which circumstances he attempted self-immolation, a deputy commissioner will investigate why and under which circumstances had he been retrenched."
Hati told a TV channel that he had been dismissed from service in 2013 allegedly for joining a protest rally of the home guards' association. He was deployed at the residence of the then deputy commissioner of police Nitinjit Singh.
"I had not taken part in the rally, but they dismissed me. I have since been living in distress. I had taken my grievance to several senior police officers urging them to reinstate me in service. But, no one intervened," he said.
