Beed: Accused Attempts Self-Immolation Inside Ambajogai Court

Beed: High drama unfolded inside a courtroom on Thursday afternoon after an accused in an ongoing criminal trial poured petrol over himself in an attempt to die by suicide in front of the magistrate. A major catastrophe was averted due to the swift intervention of alert lawyers present on the premises.

The incident occurred around 12:30pm in Courtroom No. 1 of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) during regular court proceedings.

The accused, identified as Vilas Kundlik Ghuge, a resident of Ladevadgaon in Kaij tehsil, was present in the courtroom alongside his son and defence counsel. During the proceedings, Ghuge alleged that the complainant in the case had been spreading defamatory rumours about his wife in their village.

Agitated, Ghuge demanded that the court summon the complainant immediately, warning that he would otherwise end his life. Before anyone could react, he pulled out a concealed bottle of petrol from his pocket and emptied about half a litre of fuel over himself.

Chaos ensued across the courtroom as Ghuge pulled out a matchbox from his pocket to set himself ablaze. However, Adv IA. Gawali rushed forward and overpowered Ghuge, holding him firmly. Simultaneously, Assistant Public Prosecutor SM Waghmare snatched the matchbox from his hands, while other advocates stepped in to de-escalate the situation and restrain him.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Waghmare immediately alerted Ambajogai City Police Inspector Sharad Jogdand. A police team rushed to the courtroom and took the accused into custody.

Following a complaint lodged by Balaji Chate, assistant at the Civil Court (Junior Division), the Ambajogai City Police registered a case against Ghuge, and further investigation is underway.