Man kills himself by jumping on burning pyre at crematorium

A 34-year-old man ended his life by jumping onto a burning pyre at a crematorium here, police said Sunday.

Mahesh Kotangde jumped onto the pyre of a dead man who had been cremated at Jaitala crematorium Saturday evening, police said.

Kotangde lived near the crematorium, said inspector R S Kshirsagar of MIDC police station.

The dead man's relatives and friends had left when Kotangde jumped into the fire, but some children who were playing nearby saw him and raised alarm, the officer said.

The reason for Kotangde's extreme step was yet to be ascertained. But probe revealed that he was suffering from a mental ailment for the last three years and was also a heavy drinker, Kshirsagar said.