2 booked after man dies of self-immolation

Two persons, including a travel agent, were booked for abetment to suicide after a man who immolated himself at Collectorate premises here died today.
Ajai Kumar Gupta, 47, set himself on fire inside the Collectorate in Sadar Bazar area yesterday apparently over failure to recover money that he had given to Rajesh Chauhan, a travel agent from Agra.
A case was registered today against Chauhan and Tej Singh of Bareli, SP City Shailesh Kumar Pandey said.
As per preliminary investigations, Gupta was introduced to Chauhan by Singh who lured him to invest money in the travel agency run by Chauhan saying he will make huge profits.

Gupta had allegedly sold his paternal house in Bareli for Rs 14 lakh and gave the whole amount to Chauhan.
"Gupta was allegedly kept captive for a couple of days and was assaulted byChauhan when he asked him to return the money," a police official said quoting an application submitted by the deceased with the District Magistrate.

Gupta, who suffered 90 per cent burn injuries, died today at SN Medical College in Agra.
Gupta's advocateDevendra Pal Singh Insa has decided to contest the deceased's case free-of-cost. "I am ready to become police witness," he said.
Insa said he would now demand that a case be registered against the SHO of the police station concerned for allegedly not taking action against Chauhan despite being instructed to do so by SP City, Agra.