Man who self-immolated at collectorate dies

MATHURA: Doctors at the SN Medical College in Agra could not save Ajay Gupta, who had set himself on fire on Monday, as he succumbed to burn injuries early on Tuesday. Gupta, 35, had suffered 90% burns after immolating himself at the collectorate to protest administrative indifference in the cheating case he had filed against a Samajwadi Party leader.On Tuesday, chowki in-charge of Civil Lines Harbhajan Singh registered an FIR against persons named by the deceased. Police officials said a case had been registered against Rajesh Chauhan and his uncle Tejvir Singh Chauhan under section 306 of the IPC.
Meanwhile, there were angry reactions from activists, lawyers and politicians in Mathura who collectively demanded firm action against officials who, instead of sympathising and dispensing justice kept passing the buck and at one point shifted the onus on Agra police.
"It is shocking that while the victim was immolating himself at the collectorate, the district magistrate of Mathura, Rajesh Kumar, was inaugurating a medical facility with Nira Radia. He had little time for Ajay Gupta. In the evening the DM made a terse comment saying the matter had been referred to Agra and Mathura had nothing to do in the case," said an angry activist of Braj Bachao Samiti, Lokesh Kumar. Both the SSP and the DM showed callous indifference and insensitivity, locals said.