Miscreants set lottery seller on fire in West Bengal's Midnapore

Kolkata: In an unfortunate incident, a lottery seller was set on fire by unknown miscreants on the open roads at Midnapore town in the West Midnapore district of West Bengal on Saturday.

The victim was rushed to a local hospital and subsequently to a hospital in Kolkata, after local people intervened and extinguished the fire.

The condition of the victim, Surajit Sau, is "critical", local media reported.

Eyewitnesses said that on Saturday morning while Sau was sitting at his small roadside lottery selling stall, suddenly a group of miscreants arrived at the spot, sprinkled petrol all over his body, and set him fire.

While the assailants vanished from the spot immediately, the victim rushed out of the shop and started running indiscriminately and shouting profusely.

"He was desperately running through a lane where several vehicles and motorcycles were parked. There could have been an even bigger mishap," said a local eyewitness.

Some local youths bravely rushed in and managed to douse the flames. Soon after, police officers arrived on the scene, and emergency responders moved the victim to a nearby hospital for urgent treatment.

Considering his serious burn injuries, he was later shifted to a hospital in Kolkata.

Ransom threats

The locals told the police that as Sau complained to them he was receiving ransom threats from local miscreants for running his small stall.

"Three miscreants came to the spot in a motorcycle on which they vanished after setting Sau on fire," a local eyewitness said.

"The policemen have started a detailed investigation in the matter and the footage of the CCTV cameras in the locality is being checked," said an investigating officer.

The policemen doubt that the miscreants were known to Sau.

Local BJP leaders have alleged that in the recent period, the activities of anti-social elements in Midnapore town have increased manifold and the local police are reluctant to take action against them despite complaints from local people.