Woman fed up with prolonged litigation sets self afire in court
Aurangabad : Sensation prevailed when a woman in her late 50s set herself afire allegedly over prolonged litigation of her farm with one of her relatives in full public view in the corridor of the district and sessions court of Latur on Thursday at 10.30 pm.
The woman has been identified as Rahibai Dnyanoba Surwase (58) and has been admitted to the Latur civil hospital. Her condition is stated to be very critical as she sustained 98 per cent burns in the incident.
Surwase, native of Dhanegaon in Latur tehsil, had got marginal farmland from her ancestors and was in dispute with her nephew.
According to her son, Hariram Surwase (30), she was cultivating the farmland in the vicinity of Dhanegaon. Her nephew staked his claim on the farmland in the court in 2001. The decision of this was delivered in favour of her nephew by the junior division civil court, which she challenged in the district court. This time the judgment was delivered in her favour and accordingly the land was to be measured and handed over to her. However, her nephew challenged the Latur district court’s decision in the Aurangabad bench of the High Court that issued a stay order on the district court’s judgment. Unable to show patience any longer she came to the court on Thursday morning, doused herself with kerosene and set herself afire. The incident panicked and took all aback whoever present there. The enflamed lady was screaming for help, crying out of agony and running in the corridor in the hope of some respite.
The information was passed on the fire brigade but unfortunately she collapsed motionless on the floor before firemen could reach to her on the third floor. She has been admitted to the civil hospital and her condition is stated to be very critical.
Sudhir Dharmadhikari
