Alert cop stops women from self-immolation

LUCKNOW: A cop with local intelligence unit thwarted self-immolation bid by two women outside the Vidhan Bhawan building on Monday afternoon. The women were demanding police probe into an FIR that had been registered with the Unnao police last month.
Around 3pm, Sita Devi and Ruchi Singh reached gate number II of the secretariat building on the Vidhan Bhawan Marg.Ruchi had brought along her six-year-old son and toddler daughter. No police personnel were deployed on the stretch except for head constable Mohan Mishra.
As soon as the Sita removed a kerosene bottle from her bag, Mishra could sense something was amiss. “Usually people click photographs outside the building and initially I thought the women were sitting with children for the same,” he said.
He rushed to the spot as Ruchi was pouring kerosene over herself and took away her matchbox. After pacifying the two women, Mishra informed his seniors who got in touch with the Asoha police.
While 24-year-old Sita is from Asoha area in Unnao, Ruchi stays in Manasnagar, a colony located off Kanpur road in Krishnanagar area.
The women’s grouse relates to an FIR that Sita had lodged with the Unnao police against one Yogesh Singh alias Chotu for allegedly attempting her murder with a gun. Ruchi is the wife of the accused. However, Sita later changed her statement, alleging that the police pressured her into naming Chotu. The women were, therefore, demanding that the real culprit be brought to book. The group left after handing over copy of the complaint against Unnao police to Hazratganj cops. However, in her complaint, Sita did not leave behind her mobile number or address.
Asoha police station officer-incharge Avaneesh Yadav said Sita’s statement had been recorded in-camera. “She had earlier accused Chotu but has retracted her statement since,” he said.