'Burning' Man Who Walked With Wounds On Highway Dies In India's Odisha

An Odisha man was allegedly set on fire by miscreants, and despite the burn injuries on his body he walked nearly five km (three miles) on the national highway. He died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bhubaneswar, India.

The man who died on Thursday has been identified as Gangadhar Behera, 30. He had been to Safa village under Tangi police station of Cuttack (Rural) police district on Wednesday afternoon, reported India Today.

According to his family members, some miscreants set him on fire. They alleged that the miscreants might have stolen his motorcycle, wallet and gold chain. Gangadhar's brother Mayadhar has filed a formal written complaint with the Choudwar police station of the Urban Police District without naming any accused.

Sources said that Gangadhar had a variety store and had visited Safa village regarding his business. According to eyewitnesses, Gangadhar fainted on the road after covering a long distance on foot. An ambulance came to his rescue and he was taken to the Bhubaneswar hospital.

Police are yet to find out the motive behind the incident.

In another incident, a man died after being set on fire in Uttar Pradesh, India, Republic World reported earlier this month.

Police said that the 22-year-old man, Rakesh Chaurasia, was sleeping in the verandah of his house alongside his uncle and cousin when the suspects reached their home and poured inflammable liquid on him and set him on fire. The victim, whose marriage was fixed for April 21, was taken to the BRD Medical College where he died, police said.

On the basis of a complaint by the deceased's uncle, a case was registered against unidentified people. A police officer said that Chaurasia was preparing for Army recruitment and his elder brother is in the Border Security Force.

In a separate fire incident, six people, including three children, were burnt to death at Mugatageri village in Ponnampet Police Station limits of Kodagu district, Karnataka, India, The Hindu reported a few weeks ago.

The police said that the accused, Boja, who is a 50-year-old laborer, set fire to the house where his wife, daughter, grandchildren and others were sleeping. Boja’s wife Bebi was allegedly tired of the frequent fights he used to have with her in a drunken state. She had gone to her daughter’s house.

Her daughter asked her to stay overnight. Boja went looking for his wife, and arrived at his daughter’s house in the night. “He went to the roof of the house using a ladder, removed the tiles, poured kerosene and lit a fire,” said a police official.