Mumbai:
Upset at his daughter being denied admission in a school because of late payment of fees, the father of a five-year-old attempted to immolate himself in the middle of a prayer service in an Andheri church on May 19.
Fortunately, before the self-immolation bid could succeed, the priest noticed the act and called it to the attention of shocked churchgoers, who knocked the lighter out of the man's hand. Eyewitnesses said Mahadeo (32, full name withheld) walked into St Blaise Church, Amboli, during the morning prayers. He approached the priest at the altar and handed him a few documents. On stepping down, he took out a bottle of kerosene that was tucked into his trousers and poured it over his body.
When Mahadeo took a lighter out to set himself on fire, the priest began shouting and his immolation bid was foiled. Asked why he decided to take the extreme step, Mahadeo said he had approached the St Blaise High School authorities on May 13 and submitted a letter informing the school authorities that he couldn't pay his daughter's admission fee on time. The fee was supposed to be deposited in a bank designated by the school by 11 am the previous day. The letter stated that Mahadeo had gone to the bank to pay the fees at 5 pm on May 12 but was told that the deadline to pay it had already elapsed.
"My daughter, Neha, is very bright and she secured good marks in senior kindergarten. I wanted her to get admission in a good school. When I approached the school authorities, they told me that she would not be admitted because I hadn't paid the fees. I was distraught," said Mahadeo. "All I could think of was getting Neha admitted in school. I approached the parish priest, Fr Felix D'souza, and apprised him of my plight. He said he was helpless and couldn't do anything. That's when I decided to burn myself and I would have been successful if I wouldn't have slipped and lost my balance when the churchgoers tried to stop me," he added.
"What angered me even more was that on May 16, Nelson D'souza, a committee member of the church, demanded a hefty bribe to get my daughter admitted," said Mahadeo. The police report states that at 10.30 am on May 16, Mahadeo went to meet the Parish Priest and abused him. He also threatened the priest that he would do something bad to himself and his wife if his daughter was denied admission. The priest said he was helpless and couldn't do anything. Mahadeo was booked under Sections 309 (Attempt to commit suicide), 504 (Intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC. He was released on bail the same day.
"Mahadeo came to me on May 16 and said he wanted to meet Father Felix early in the morning. I told him to write a letter and submit it to Father. That's all. Probably, my stopping him made him angry and that's why he is accusing me of taking a bribe. I did not ask him for any money," said Nelson D'souza, a church committee member.
Fortunately, before the self-immolation bid could succeed, the priest noticed the act and called it to the attention of shocked churchgoers, who knocked the lighter out of the man's hand. Eyewitnesses said Mahadeo (32, full name withheld) walked into St Blaise Church, Amboli, during the morning prayers. He approached the priest at the altar and handed him a few documents. On stepping down, he took out a bottle of kerosene that was tucked into his trousers and poured it over his body.
When Mahadeo took a lighter out to set himself on fire, the priest began shouting and his immolation bid was foiled. Asked why he decided to take the extreme step, Mahadeo said he had approached the St Blaise High School authorities on May 13 and submitted a letter informing the school authorities that he couldn't pay his daughter's admission fee on time. The fee was supposed to be deposited in a bank designated by the school by 11 am the previous day. The letter stated that Mahadeo had gone to the bank to pay the fees at 5 pm on May 12 but was told that the deadline to pay it had already elapsed.
"My daughter, Neha, is very bright and she secured good marks in senior kindergarten. I wanted her to get admission in a good school. When I approached the school authorities, they told me that she would not be admitted because I hadn't paid the fees. I was distraught," said Mahadeo. "All I could think of was getting Neha admitted in school. I approached the parish priest, Fr Felix D'souza, and apprised him of my plight. He said he was helpless and couldn't do anything. That's when I decided to burn myself and I would have been successful if I wouldn't have slipped and lost my balance when the churchgoers tried to stop me," he added.
"What angered me even more was that on May 16, Nelson D'souza, a committee member of the church, demanded a hefty bribe to get my daughter admitted," said Mahadeo. The police report states that at 10.30 am on May 16, Mahadeo went to meet the Parish Priest and abused him. He also threatened the priest that he would do something bad to himself and his wife if his daughter was denied admission. The priest said he was helpless and couldn't do anything. Mahadeo was booked under Sections 309 (Attempt to commit suicide), 504 (Intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC. He was released on bail the same day.
"Mahadeo came to me on May 16 and said he wanted to meet Father Felix early in the morning. I told him to write a letter and submit it to Father. That's all. Probably, my stopping him made him angry and that's why he is accusing me of taking a bribe. I did not ask him for any money," said Nelson D'souza, a church committee member.
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