UP: Scolded by father over ‘gutkha’, girl immolates self

KANPUR: A 24-year-old girl immolated herself on late Saturday night after she was allegedly scolded by her father over her habit of consuming ‘gutkha’.
The incident took place around 10 pm at a house in Shastri Nagar in Kakadeo police station area.
According to police, Arvind, cousin of deceased Manisha, said that his uncle had scolded her for eating ‘gutkha’ while she was preparing food on Saturday night.
According to him, earlier also on several occasions, Manisha’s father had reprimanded her for her excessive gutkha’ consumption habit, the police said.
“On late Saturday night too, her father rebuked her when he caught her red-handed chewing ‘gutkha’ while she was cooking food in the kitchen. Manisha, who was extremely upset, went inside her room with a container of kerosene and after bolting herself set herself on fire,” the police added.
Minutes later, Manisha rushed out engulfed in flames.
“On seeing her aflame, her kin tried to save her and admitted her to the burn unit of Lala Lajpat Rai hospital in a critical condition where she succumbed on Saturday,” said police officials.
Kakadeo police station in-charge, Kaushal Kishore Dikshit, said, “Manisha’s death was a clear case of suicide. Her body has been sent to the mortuary for the post-mortem examination. As per the family members, she took the drastic step on being scolded by her father over her excessive gutkha consumption habit.”