UP: Boy claims set ablaze for refusing to chant 'Jai Shri Ram', police refutes

The family of a 17-yr-old boy who was allegedly set on fire by some people in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh said it done for refusing to chant 'Jai Sri Ram'.

However, these accusations have been refuted by police which is suspecting foul play after finding discrepancies in the statements of the victim.

The boy identified as Mohammad Khalid, a resident of Saiyad Raja area of the district reached home in a partially burnt state on Sunday morning. Upon receiving a complaint, UP police's dial-100 also reached the spot and admitted Khalid into the district hospital.

Chandauli Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar Singh reached the hospital to record the statement of the victim, who was later referred to Varanasi.

SP Chandauli stated that the boy has given contradictory statements, which were found to be false during the investigation as an eyewitness has claimed to have seen the boy set setting himself ablaze.

"He is admitted in a hospital with 45 per cent burns. He had given different statements to different people, so it seemed suspicious. It seemed he had been tutored. Police monitored CCTV footage of places he had mentioned and found that he had not been at any of those places", the district police chief added.

Further investigation in the matter is underway.

( With inputs from ANI )