Man dies after self-immolation

Ludhiana: A 35-year-old man died after setting himself afire in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner at the mini-secretariat in Ludhiana.

According to eyewitnesses, Ajit Singh poured kerosene on himself and lit a match stick and set himself ablaze.

By the time bystanders doused the flames with the help of coats worn by them, Singh had sustained serious burns, police said.

He was rushed to the civil hospital where he succumbed to his burns, they said, adding, Senior Medical Officer of the hospital said the victim had hundred per cent burns.

 A suicide note recovered by police from the possession of the deceased read: "This decision is a serious excess against my poor family. Had there been any law in the country this decision would have been different."

The note does not elaborate as to what is the decision referred to or who took it. According to the documents recovered from Singh''s possession, he hailed from Guram village, about 20 kms from here, police said.

A police team has been sent to his village for investigations and a magisterial enquiry has been ordered into the incident, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tewari said.