Kanpur: A 32-year-old man allegedly set himself ablaze outside Maharajpur police station in Kanpur on Tuesday after arriving to seek action in a marital dispute, leaving himself critically injured and four policemen, including the station house officer (SHO), with burn injuries while trying to save him.Additional deputy commissioner of police (east) Shiva Singh said Mahesh had come to the police station to submit an application regarding a dispute with his wife. “After submitting the application, he doused himself with an inflammable substance outside the police station premises and entered the premises in a burning condition. Four policemen, including the SHO of Maharajpur, sustained burn injuries while trying to rescue him.All the injured were immediately shifted to the hospital with 50 per cent burns. Preliminary investigation suggests the incident stemmed from a family dispute between the couple. According to eyewitnesses, Mahesh reached the police station gate shouting, “I want justice”, before taking out a bottle containing fuel and setting himself on fire before anyone could react.Police said Mahesh had first met sub-inspector Gaurav Sauliya and complained that his dispute with his wife was not being resolved. While the officer was attempting to contact his family members on the phone, Mahesh suddenly stood up, again shouted that he was not getting justice, walked outside the police station gate and allegedly poured fuel on himself before setting himself ablaze.As flames engulfed him, Mahesh ran around in panic. SHO Janardan Singh, sub-inspector Gaurav Sauliya, constable Arun Kumar and another policeman rushed to his rescue, wrapped him in a blanket, dragged him inside the police station and extinguished the flames. The four policemen sustained burn injuries during the rescue and are undergoing treatment.Mahesh was admitted to Ursula Hospital in critical condition.A resident of Fufuwar village under Maharajpur, Mahesh had married a resident of Sachendi, in 2015. The couple has two children—an eight-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter. According to villagers, the woman had lodged an assault complaint against Mahesh at Maharajpur police station on Monday.
