Jalandhar: A retired employee of the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation allegedly died by self-immolation at his residence in Jalandhar early Friday morning, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Sohan Singh (60), a retired superintendent who lived with his wife and son in the Avtar Nagar area near Chugitti Chowk.
According to family members, Singh had dinner on Thursday night and went to sleep in a room built on the terrace, as he usually did. Around 4.30 am on Friday, flames were noticed coming from his room. Family members and neighbours rushed to the spot after hearing his cries, but were unable to save him.
The victim’s son Vivek said neighbours raised an alarm and the family immediately informed the police and the fire brigade. Firefighters arrived quickly and tried to rescue him, but strong flames and wind made it difficult to reach the first-floor room immediately.
After the fire was brought under control, Singh was found dead inside the room.
Family members told police that Singh had been under stress due to financial debt. However, no suicide note was recovered from the spot. Police are also examining whether any note might have been destroyed in the fire or if the deceased recorded a video before the incident.
The body has been sent for postmortem, and police said further investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
