Kolhapur family tries self-immolation over ‘inaction’ by police

Pune: A family of four tried to immolate themselves in front of the office of superintendent of police, Kolhapur, saying that the police was not taking their complaint. The woman, Shafika Samir Shikalgar (30), said that her in-laws had been abusing them but the police did not take the complaint, forcing her to take such a drastic step. However, the police saved the family and took them into custody.

Sanjiv More, police inspector, Shahupuri, Kolhapur, said, “Ms Shikalgar and her husband Samir Shikalgar (38) and their two children Sidhdhik and Waliha on Friday tried to immolate themselves by pouring kerosene on themselves in front of the SP Kolhapur office at 11am. But before they could grab a matchbox and set fire to themselves, we took them into custody and lodged a complaint under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code for attempt to commit suicide. They were immediately released on bail.”

He added, “Ms Shikalgar later lodged a complaint against her in-laws that they had been harassing her family for a few months. Her brother-in-law, his wife, and her parents had been trying to evict Ms Shikalgar’s family from their ancestral home. They had been verbally and physically abusing her family for a few months.”

Ms Shikalgar said that earlier, when she tried to lodge a FIR against her in-laws for harassing her family, the police did not take her complaint. However, her in-laws were able to register a complaint against her family with the police. She said, “I tried to explain to the police that we have no house and we stay in my husband’s parents’ house.”