Lucknow self-immolation case: Amethi women, 2 others booked; BSP, SP condemn incident, demand action

A day after a woman and her daughter from Amethi set themselves afire in front of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow, police on Saturday said that the duo were among the four persons booked in the case, including two leaders of the MIM and the Congress on the charge of "instigating" them to immolate themselves.

Three police officials were also suspended on the charge of negligence in duty and departmental action initiated against them even as one accused was arrested, a senior police officer said.

Commenting on the immolation incident, Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujeet Pandey said that it was a result of a "criminal conspiracy" wherein some people played a key role in instigating the women.

"We have registered the FIR against four people, including Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Kadir Khan and Congress leader Anoop Patel," the Commissioner said. He said that police had arrested Kadir Khan.

The FIR claimed that Kadir and Anoop Patel were booked for egging on the women to immolate themselves if they wished their problem to be heard by authorities.

The woman and her daughter had set themselves on fire in front of the Vidhan Sabha on Friday evening over alleged police inaction in a land dispute case in Amethi. The women -- Gudiya and Sophia -- sustained severe burn injuries and were admitted to the Civil Hospital where their condition is said to be "critical".

A video of the incident went viral on the social media.

Meanwhile, BSP and SP attacked the UP government on Saturday over the incident alleging police inaction in a land dispute case in Amethi, saying it should take the incident seriously and act against the officers responsible for it.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said the mother and her daughter were "compelled to set themselves afire" as they did not get justice from the Amethi administration. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the incident should "wake up" an "insensitive government".

"UP government should take this incident seriously, and deliver justice to the aggrieved. Action should also be initiated against the officers who showed laxity in this regard, so that such incidents do not happen in future," Mayawati in a tweet in Hindi.

"Is the attempt made by two women to set themselves afire not enough to wake up a sleeping government or is it that an insensitive government and chief minister are waiting for any other major incident? Is there something known as a government in Uttar Pradesh?" SP president Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.

With input from agencies