The victim, 25-year-old Divyaraj Pandey, doused himself with petrol and set himself on fire outside the State Bank of India (SBI) in Gonda district

Gonda, Uttar Pradesh: In a shocking incident, a young man attempted self-immolation and set himself on fire outside a bank in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district after the institution allegedly declined his loan application.

The victim, 25-year-old Divyaraj Pandey, doused himself with petrol and set himself on fire outside the State Bank of India (SBI) in Gonda district on Wednesday, police said, adding that the victim’s family has alleged that he took the extreme step because the bank did not sanction his loan.

However, the bank has refuted the family’s claims and said that no loan application from Pandey was pending.

According to reports, Pandey, an ITI diploma holder, wanted to set up an RO water purifying plant and had applied for a business loan at his bank. When the bank reportedly turned him down, the young man, a resident of Sarhara Pandey Purwa in Itiyathok area, tried to self-immolate in protest by setting himself on fire.

A graphic video of the incident doing the rounds on the internet shows a man, presumably Pandey, covered in burns in the middle of the road while being surrounded by people and police. India.com could not independently verify the veracity of the video.

Watch the video here (WARNING: Graphic visuals. Viewer discretion advised)

This video is from #Gonda,
U.P.
The name of the young man who is burning is Divyaraj Pandey.
The young man is an ITI diploma holder and had gone to the bank to take a loan for business.
When the bank did not give it, he set himself on fire in front of the bank branch.#Brahman pic.twitter.com/rpCKTJtEOn

— Brahmin Lives Matter ® (@Brahmin_LivesM) October 18, 2023

Police said Pandey drenched himself with petrol from his motorcycle and then went on set himself on fire. The 25-year-old sustained 70 percent burn injuries in the self-immolation bid and was rushed to Lucknow for medical attention where his condition is stated to be critical.

Pandey’s friend Pradeep also sustained burn injuries and is in a hospital, they said.

A senior officer said Pandey and his friend Pradeep sustained burn injuries and were rushed to a hospital. Later, Pandey was referred to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow for specialized care as he had sustained critical burn injuries, Station House Officer of City Kotwali Police Station Sanjay Kumar said, according to news agency PTI.

Pandey’s family members alleged that he had applied for a loan to start an RO water plant but the bank officials were not sanctioning his loan due to which he took the drastic step.

The regional manager of the SBI branch in front of Kotwali, Gyan Prakash, denied the allegations levelled by Pandey’s family.

In a statement issued today, Prakash said an unknown person tried to do an “illegal act” in front of the bank.

“No matter related to his loan was with the bank,” Prakash said.

Probe ordered

Meanwhile, taking note of the incident, a magisterial probe has been ordered by the district administration.

District Magistrate Neha Sharma has ordered a magisterial probe into the matter and appointed City Magistrate Chandrashekhar as the investigative officer, officials said.

(With PTI inputs)