WARANGAL: A 24-year-old man allegedly set himself ablaze by pouring petrol and rushing into the Mills Colony police station premises on Friday, leaving the constable who tried to save him injured.
Constable R. Praveen Kumar attempted to stop K. Harshith and rescue him from the flames, but sustained burn injuries in the process.
Both Harshith and the constable were shifted to MGM Hospital, Warangal, for treatment, according to Mills Colony Inspector Karre Swamy.
Swamy said Harshith had been facing marital discord with his wife, N. Vaishnavi. The couple had approached the police station with complaints against each other after their differences resurfaced following the birth of their baby boy.
According to the inspector, Harshith had earlier approached family elders seeking their intervention to resolve the dispute regarding his refusal to live with Vaishnavi and her parents, for which she allegedly harassed him.
Following the intervention of their families, the couple returned from Vaishnavi’s parents’ residence and began living together. They later had a baby boy.
However, the couple again developed differences soon after the delivery, following which Vaishnavi went back to her parents’ residence. The couple, who had been living in the Mills Colony area of Warangal town, subsequently approached the police with complaints against each other.
Vaishnavi later cautioned Harshith about divorce. After receiving divorce notices, Harshith became agitated and went to her parents’ residence, where he allegedly threatened to kill all her family members. Fearing his threat, Vaishnavi lodged a complaint at the police station two days ago.
The inspector said Harshith subsequently decided to end his life. On Friday afternoon, he poured petrol on himself, struck a match and, after setting himself ablaze, entered the police station premises.
Kumar immediately attempted to intervene and save him from the flames, sustaining burn injuries during the rescue attempt.