Jalandhar, January 28
A 62-year-old paralytic tried to immolate himself in his house in the Bhargo Camp area today. He had been suffering from paralysis for the past few years. According to his family members, Mela Ram was frustrated of his physical condition. He was also under stress as a financier had got his younger son implicated in a case. Unable to arrange money for the bail of his son, Mela Ram tried to immolate himself in his room this morning. He suffered 80 per cent burns, according to the police. The financier was also booked today.
Talking to The Tribune, Mela Ram’s wife Asha Rani said her husband had been under great stress because a financier had got his son implicated in a case. The financier had loaned Rs 10,000 at 10 per cent rate of interest to her son Parvesh. But the financier was demanding around Rs 2 lakh from his family. Parvesh’s family required Rs 1 lakh to get him out on bail. Helplessness to arrange money as well as his weak physical condition led Mela Ram to take this extreme step. Mela Ram was also depressed because Parvesh did not return home yesterday.
Asha was in kitchen on the roof of the house when she heard neighbour Bihari Lal shouting. Bihari saw Mela Ram setting himself on fire from his house. Neighbours and Asha doused off the fire with the help of blankets.
Asha told The Tribune that the condition of her husband, who had suffered two paralytic attacks since year 2001, had gone from bad to worse as he had developed defect in his speech too. He was a worker of the Congress and had earlier held the post of block president. He was an RMP and had stopped practicing due to his physical condition.
The elder son of Mela Ram, Naresh, said they plied rehris to make both ends meet. The financer had been harassing Parvesh constantly. Parvesh had given the financer a blank cheque seven months back and the financer had been claiming that they owed around Rs 2 lakh to him. The SHO, police station division number 6, Mr Gurmeet Singh, said the victim had suffered 80 per cent burns. He said an FIR had been registered against the financier under Sections 306 and 511 of the IPC.
