Dera follower who set himself ablaze dead

New Delhi: A Dera Sacha Sauda follower who allegedly attempted self-immolation in Bathinda on Sunday succumbed to his injuries in Delhi on Monday.

Thirty-two-year old Sham Sunder Bansal, who suffered 80 per cent burns, died at the Safdarjung Hospital, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Bhandari was quoted by news agencyn PTI as saying.

Sunder was referred to PGI first and then to Delhi today looking at his serious condition.

He is survived by a wife and two children and had adopted a child from the Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa.

Bansal set himself ablaze in front of a gurudwara situated at Paras Ram Nagar in Bhatinda following the announcement by about 10 to 11 Dera followers of their dissociation from the Sacha Sauda sect.

Bansal said he wanted to "protest" the alleged high-handedness of the police and state government against their Guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

On July 2, Dera follower Jaswinder Singh had also attempted self-immolation at Sirsa. He, too, belonged to Bhatinda district.