97-year-old's bid to torch liquor shop foiled

Police detained a 97-year-old freedom fighter, Chimman Lal Jain, in his own house to prevent him from torching a liquor shop as announced by him earlier.

Jain had on October 2 - Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary - made a futile bid to jump into the Yamuna river.

"That time too police came in the way, forcing Jain to announce he will begin setting liquor shops on fire from January 30," the day Gandhi was assassinated, an associate, Rajiv Saxena, told IANS.

Jain said he would continue to campaign against liquor sale and would get the issue raised in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

Anticipating police action, Jain had gone underground on Friday. But when he with a dozen followers marched towards a liquor shop on Saturday evening, a police team stopped him and took him to his house. There he was held as a virtual hostage for several hours till late at night.

Each day, Jain visits a cluster of Dalit houses and organises a meeting to sensitise the women of the consequences of liquor addiction.