Man who set himself ablaze outside Chg CM's residence dies

A 40-year-old man, who had set himself ablaze in front of the residence of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh in Kabeerdham district on November 8, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Raipur today.
"Bacchu Lal, who had sustained around 85 per cent burns, breathed his last this afternoon," said a doctor at the Raipur-based Kalda Burns and Plastic Surgery Centre.
Lal had set himself on fire after dousing himself in petrol in front of the CM's residence in Kawardha, the district headquarter of Kabeerdham.
After preliminary treatment at a local hospital, he was shifted to Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital here on the same day.

Subsequently, he was admitted to Kalda hospital for advanced treatment.
Following the incident, Kabeerdham Collector Neeraj Bansod had visited the hospital and directed Additional Collector PK Mishra to probe the entire matter to ascertain the cause behind it.

According to police, Lal, who was working as a sweeper with Pandatarai nagar panchayat in Kawardha on contract basis, was demanding regularisation of his service.
Lal, who hailed from Amlai in Shahdol area of Madhya Pradesh, was living in Pandatarai along with his wife and children, a local police official told PTI.
His wife was also working with him, he said.
Lal had earlier lodged a complaint with the local police againstthe Nagar Panchayat president claiming that the latter "swindled" Rs 40,000 which he and his wife had deposited with him for regularisation of the service.

"Apparently upset over it, he attempted suicide but the exact cause that prompted him to take the extreme step was yet to be ascertained," the official said, adding that further probe was on.