Panic gripped the collectorate premises in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday, September 28, when a local individual attempted self-immolation by pouring diesel over himself right outside the district magistrate office. The man had already pulled out a matchbox to set himself on fire, but alert security personnel rushed forward, overpowered him, and snatched the matches away just in time. Their prompt intervention averted a major tragedy and saved the man's life.
Upon receiving information about the incident, local police promptly arrived at the scene, took the individual into custody, and initiated an interrogation. He was identified as Brijesh Kumar Azad, a resident of Narsinghpur Kabarha village under the Dhata police station jurisdiction. According to available details, he serves as the Khagah assembly constituency president for the Bhim Army Bharat Ekta Mission.
Alert Security Personnel Avert Tragedy
Brijesh Kumar claimed that he has been running from pillar to post seeking justice for the past three years regarding his brother's murder and a related land dispute, but officials have failed to take any action on his complaints. Frustrated by this ongoing neglect, he arrived at the collectorate premises on Monday carrying diesel in a plastic container hidden inside a black bag. As he reached in front of DM Nidhi Gupta Vats' office, he doused himself in the fuel. The moment he attempted to light a match, security guards pounced on him and restrained him.
Allegations of Pressure in Murder Trial
According to Brijesh, his brother Shyam Kumar was murdered in 2023. The final testimonies in the court case have concluded, and they are now awaiting the final verdict. He alleged that continuous pressure is being exerted on him to reach a compromise in the trial. He also accused individuals of assaulting him over this ongoing dispute.
The youth specifically accused Mahendra Patel of his village, stating that during pressure tactics to force a settlement, he was physically assaulted and had 35 thousand rupees extorted from him. Brijesh further claimed that he was threatened that complaining to the DM and SP or anywhere else would yield no results against the perpetrators. However, police have not yet released any official statement addressing these allegations. Brijesh stated that after enduring prolonged apathy from various administrative offices, extreme distress drove him to take such a drastic step.
