Immolation attempt by widow foiled, CBI probe ordered

New Delhi, Dec 20 (UNI) A 25-year-old woman, protesting against the cancellation of licence of a petrol pump alloted to her father in Agra, tried to immolate herself right in front of Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora who was addressing a press conference in the high security Press Information Bureau (PIB) Conference room here today.

A shocked Minister later said that he had referred the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a thorough inquiry into the incident.

Moments after Mr Deora had concluded his press conference to outline city gas pipeline projects and on his recent visit to Beijing, the woman, identified as Laxmi, doused herself with petrol which she had carried in a plastic bottle.

As the Minister and mediapersons watched in disbelief, CISF personnel rushed and prevented her from lighting the match stick.

Laxmi was nursing a grouse against the authorities for having terminated the the license of the petrol pump outlet sanctioned to her father who had lost his son Harinder Singh during the Kargil war.

The retail outlet was sanctioned at Jattari, Agra under the defence quota.

IOC had terminated the license after inspections at the petrol pump and allegedly found that the fuel being sold from the gas station was adulterated.

Based on the marketing discplinary guidelines, a showcause notice was issued and later the retail outlet was terminated on September 18 this year.

Laxmi, along with her mother, had met the Minister several times in the past.

Even in today's press conference, she raised the issue and the Minister said this was not the right forum to take up the matter and assured her that he would give her another hearing soon.

Laxmi, however, alleged that the IOC was coercing her to appoint one H P Singh as the manager of the retail outlet as a condition to commissioning it.

She also alleged that H P Singh was acting as a conduit between local oil company officials in running the benami operation of several dealers of defence category and in adulteration of fuel.

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