24-year-old set ablaze by 7 assailants succumbs, kin stage protest in Ludhiana

After a 24-year-old man who was set ablaze by seven assailants succumbed on Friday after struggling for life for ten days, the deceased’s kin staged a protest on the Raikot Road in Jagraon. The family laid the youth’s body on the road, seeking the arrest of the accused.

Due to the protest, a heavy traffic jam was witnessed in the area and commuters were a harried lot.

Rakesh Kumar, father of victim Manpreet alias Rahul, alleged the police have not arrested any of the accused so far. He said that they would not cremate the body till the accused was arrested. Later, police officials reached the spot and pacified the protesters.

On June 4, seven assailants allegedly set the 24-year-old man ablaze after pouring petrol on him in broad daylight in Jagraon. The victim suffered 80% burns. The City Jagraon police had registered a case against Pradeep Singh alias Tittu, Vijay Kumar, Harsh, Nikhil, Nikka, Kaja, Jatin of Rani Wala Khoo and Jimmy of Kabir Nagar of Jagraon.

Investigating officer assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Mohan Lal said the police have registered a case under sections 326 A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused at the City Jagraon police station. After his death, the police added section 302 (murder) of IPC in the FIR. He added that the police are conducting raids to arrest the accused, who are on the run.