Rickshaw puller dies of injuries after self immolation

A 70-year-old rickshaw puller, who tried to immolate himself yesterday after allegedly failing to receive his monthly old age pension, succumbed to his burn injuries today in a private hospital at Ludhiana, police said.
The deceased identified as Somnath resident of village Dhilwan had tried to immolate himself yesterday in front of Dhilwan branch of a Bank after he failed to get monthly old age pension of Rs 250 for the past three months.
The victim had received more than 80 per cent burn injuries. He was first rushed to local civil hospital and was later referred to a private hospital at Ludhiana, said Bholath DSP Mukesh Kumar.

The victim was staging a dharna outside the Dhilwan bank for the past few days in protest against the alleged failure of the state government to pay monthly old age pension to poor and handicapped persons for the past three months.
DSP Kumar told PTI that the victim went to the Bank in the morning and came to know that his pension had not come and in frustration he tried to immolate himself.
DSP said that police was investigating the case.
Deputy Commissioner Daljit Singh Mangat said that victim had last withdrawn the monthly pension on January 12 from the Bank and quarterly pension was due to come in the month of April.

The deceased was cremated today and a large number of villagers attended his funeral.