Senior citizen sets himself on fire, dies

MANGALURU: A retired railway employee succumbed to burn injuries after he set himself ablaze near his house in Jeppu Bappal on Saturday night. Mangaluru South (Pandeshwar) police named the victim as Sivasubramany. He was 67. The victim earlier had consumed poisonous substance in the evening. Around 9 pm, he poured petrol on his body and set himself ablaze. Sivaraman, his son, who came back home after work, and other neighbours doused the fire. Sivaraman immediately shifted him in his car to Wenlock District Hospital where he succumbed to burn injuries early on Sunday. The victim, in his statement to the doctors, stated that he was disturbed following the demise of his wife, five years ago. A case of unnatural death report (UDR) has been registered in Mangaluru South police station. The family performed Sivasubramany's last rites at the Nandigudde burial ground here later during the day. -TOI