Jammu, Jan 3,2022: A woman, who sustained burn injuries when she prevented her husband from self-immolation, due to Indian Police harassment died in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) in Jammu, in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Dilawar Singh Jamwal who attempted to end his life by self-immolation, and her wife Pornoo Devi tried to douse the fire but she also sustained burn injuries. Locals and relatives of the family told the media that they did it due to Police harassment which forced the couple to take this extreme-step in Sidhra, area of Jammu district.
“After the incident both were shifted to GMC&H Jammu for treatment”, said Amandeep Singh Boparai, a social activist, who was supporting the poor family since October last year.
“The woman died at the hospital, while her husband is battling for life,” he said, adding that biasedness in Police approach could be gauged from the fact that even after three days of the immolation incident, statement of the victims was not recorded.
The couple has a 10-year-old son, who would take care of him if something adverse happens to his father, the local said, adding that the poor family was living in a temporary shed, as the construction work of their dream-house being built under a scheme could not be completed.
“Police were harassing the helpless family. However, the family also approached higher authorities, but In-charge Police Post Sidhra did not entertain their plea. The Police were frequently visiting victim’s house and they were also being summoned at Police Post almost on daily basis”, he added.
“Karan Singh, a cousin of Dilawar Singh has brought a court stay in October 2021 over some land dispute and the Police did its job by implementing court’s status quo order”, SDPO Nagrota Parupkar Singh said.
“It was an accident, as the lady who was trying to prevent her husband, burnt her-self and died ”, said SHO Nagrota, Vishav Partap Singh, claiming that inquest proceeding in the case has begun. sources