Man immolates himself in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Oct 23 (IANS) Police have booked a man for attempted suicide by setting himself on fire here.

Rajiv Gupta, a resident of Solan town in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, had Wednesday late night set himself on fire and was admitted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) with 70 percent burns, police said.

'Rajiv Gupta, 45, went to meet his friend Ruchi Bansal, 23, at her residence in Sector 20. After an argument, Gupta lost his temper, poured petrol over his body and set himself on fire. He also tried to throw petrol on Ruchi but she somehow escaped,' station house officer Sukhdev Bhullar told IANS.

He said: 'Gupta and Ruchi work together at a fast food joint here and were good friends. Gupta, who is already married, was insisting Ruchi marry him but she opposed this.'

He said the girl had filed a complaint and police booked Gupta for attempt to commit suicide.