Youth who attempted self-immolation against 'Fanaa' screening dies

Jamnagar, June 20 (UNI) A youth, who set himself on fire on June 11 to protest screening of the Aamir Khan-starrer Hindi film 'Fanaa', succumbed to his burn injuries at Guru Govind Singh hospital here today.

Pravin Joshi 20, who had been on life-support system and ventilator for the past ten days, breathed his last at 1220 hrs, hospital sources said.

Joshi's health, which was critical but stable for last few days, started deteriorating from 0930 hrs this morning and the succumbed to his injuries after few hours.

Joshi, a resident of port town of Porbandar, had arrived here to watch 'Fanaa' at Amber cinema hall, the only theatre in Gujarat to have defied the boycott of the film called by cinema owners' association against the actor's remarks in support of rehabilitation of the Narmada dam oustees.

However, during the movies intermission of the movie, Joshi attempted self-immolation by dousing petrol on himself in the hall's toilet.

He was admitted to the hospital in critical condition with over 90 per cent burns.

The hospital sources said the post-mortem on Pravin was conducted by the hospital doctors and the body was handed over to his relatives at about 1500 hrs.

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