A 50-year-old man set himself on fire outside the Supreme Court on Friday afternoon after preliminary investigations revealed that he used to work in a factory in Noida but was not paid for three months. In addition, his employer had recently sacked him.
“Witnesses told the police that the incident happened around 2 pm outside the new building of the Supreme Court, where the man came and set himself on fire. Security personnel doused the fire and he was taken to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP), where his condition is said to be stable and he is recovering.
“Doctors have informed that the irritation is minor. Only his hair and clothes had caught fire. But he is under observation. He told the police in his statement that he used to work in an exhaust manufacturing factory in Noida’s Sector 128, and was not getting payment for the past three months,” said an official.
Police said Rajbhar Gupta lives near the factory with his wife, two daughters and a son.
Gupta’s daughter Anjali told Indian Express, “My father was working as a security guard in the factory and is the sole breadwinner. He has been demanding salary from the factory management for months. He took leave on January 15, after which they fired him. He begged them to take them back, but they misbehaved with him. On Friday morning he told us that he was looking for a new job and left the house. But in the afternoon we got a call and we came to know about the incident.
“We have not informed our mother about the incident. My father told him that he would be back in two days. I have spoken to him and he is stable.”
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