In a distressing incident on Tuesday, September 30, a senior citizen allegedly tried to set himself on fire at the main entrance of Mumbai Mantralaya, the administrative headquarters of the Maharashtra government. The man, estimated to be between 65 and 70 years old, reportedly attempted self-immolation in protest against the authorities’ inaction on his repeated complaints, according to Mid Day. Marine Drive Police confirmed the incident occurred around 4:55 pm. Identified as Prem Bajaj, a resident of Koparkhairane in Navi Mumbai, he claimed that a nearby dry fruit factory’s continuous operations disturbed him, prompting him to seek redress multiple times at Mantralaya.
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Reports indicate that Bajaj poured a flammable liquid over himself outside the Mantralaya gate, intending to protest the lack of response to his complaints. On-duty police personnel intervened immediately, preventing the act from escalating further. The elderly man was taken into custody and transported to Marine Drive Police Station using the Colaba Mobile-1 vehicle for further processing. Authorities confirmed that an investigation has been initiated to determine the full circumstances behind the attempted self-immolation. Police officials are reviewing his previous complaints about the factory and examining why no action was taken, which may have contributed to Bajaj’s drastic protest.