Bank manager set afire by security guard in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh

A security guard allegedly set ablaze the manager of a nationalised bank at Dharchula in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district, police said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Deepak Kshetri, has been arrested, Superintendent of Police (Pithoragarh) Lokeshwar Singh said.

Muhammad Owais, the manager of a State Bank of India branch, suffered 36 per cent burns and has been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, after first aid at a nearby hospital, he said.

The pair had fought earlier as well, the police said.

On Saturday, when Kshetri did not turn up for duty, Owais marked him absent. Following this action, Kshetri allegedly poured petrol on the bank manager and set him on fire, they added.

Kshetri, a resident of Dehradun, retired from the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and was working as a security guard at the bank for the past two years.