ROURKELA:A 35-year-old man is battling for his life after two miscreants allegedly set him on fire over a land dispute at a village under Lahunipada police limits in Sundargarh district early on Saturday.
The victim, Kanhu Charan Mahanta, sustained critical burn injuries and is undergoing treatment at Ispat General Hospital (IGH) in Rourkela. The incident took place at Ganigasha village in Bonai sub-division.
The two suspects who allegedly poured petrol on Kanhu have been detained by police for questioning.
Kanhu was out for a walk in the morning when the two accused arrived on a motorcycle and dragged him to a nearby nullah, where they allegedly forced petrol into his mouth and poured it over his body, said the victim’s brother-in-law Bibhisan Mahanta. They then set him on fire and fled the spot.
Bibhisan said Kanhu screamed in pain before local villagers rescued him and rushed him to the Lahunipada community health centre (CHC). He was later shifted to Rourkela Government Hospital and subsequently admitted to IGH after his condition deteriorated.
Bibhisan said Kanhu jointly owns a piece of roadside land with his brother. “However, a portion of the land has been encroached upon by a private fuel filling station without his consent or knowledge. Kanhu was set ablaze due to enmity over the land dispute,” he alleged.
He also claimed that Kanhu worked as a Gajasathi volunteer. However, Bonai forest officials refuted the claim. Lahunipada IIC Prashant Pradhan said the investigation was underway from all angles. “The victim is able to speak and police are trying to record his statement,” he added.
DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said two persons had been detained based on a complaint lodged by Kanhu’s family members. Further investigation is underway, he said.
A similar incident had occurred on the night of June 26 when a 29-year-old man allegedly set a 27-year-old woman on fire while she was sleeping at her house in Jaratoli hamlet under Bisra police limits near Rourkela. The victim succumbed to her burn injuries 32 days later, on July 28, while undergoing treatment. The case was subsequently converted into a murder case.
