THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The venue of the indefinite hunger strike by BJP leader C.K. Padmanabhan in front of the secretariat here witnessed the self-immolation of a man in the wee hours of Thursday.
Venugopalan Nair, 46, of Anchumukku at Muttada near Peroorkada, an Ayyappa devotee, who set himself on fire using kerosene/ petrol around 1.30 a.m., died in the government medical college hospital in the afternoon.
The police said that Venugopalan was not associated with the BJP or any other political party. He was said to be a regular visitor to Sabarimala and was upset over the controversies there.
He was working as a plumber and was an autorickshaw driver earlier. Those present at the fasting venue were caught unawares by Venugopalan’s act. He was initially standing near the venue. Later he moved to the other side of the road, poured a liquid from a bottle and set himself on fire. He then ran towards the stir venue where over 50 workers were present. They doused the fire with the drinking water available.
A police team, which rushed to the spot, took him to the burn intensive care unit of MCH. He had suffered about 90 percent burns and succumbed to the injuries by afternoon.
His statement was recorded by a magistrate and the police before he breathed his last. He reportedly confessed that he committed the act himself. The dying declaration given by Venugopalan was learnt to have no mention about the Sabarimala issue. A magistrate, doctor and police recorded his statement. His brothers told a section of media that he used to go to Sabarimala every year and that he did not go this time due to the problems there.
According to a statement issued by city police commissioner P. Prakash, it was a case of suicide. In the statement given to magistrate, Venugopalan said he was ending life owing to failures in life and did not want to live anymore. He added that he ran towards BJP's fasting venue due to severe pain experienced after setting himself on fire.
