Uttarakhand Women Congress chief booked for self-immolation threat, obstruction

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Women Congress president Jyoti Rautela and others were booked on Thursday for threatening self-immolation and obstructing public servants in Parade Ground area, police said.

Rautela had joined a protest launched by the Nursing Ekta Manch in support of their demands for year-wise recruitment, as per the guidelines of the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS).

On May 11, Rautela, her supporters and members of the unemployed nursing professionals climbed atop a water tank in a bid to press for their demands, police said in a statement.


Rautela and four of her supporters remained atop despite repeated appeals from officials, while other protesters held a dharna below, causing security concerns in the area, it said.

Police personnel were then deployed at the site during the day and night hours to maintain peace and security.

On May 12, Rautela allegedly poured petrol on herself and threatened to set herself on fire in a bid to force the officials to accept the protesters' demands.

Simultaneously, the nursing graduates blocked the main road outside Parade Ground, disrupting traffic, before police persuaded them to clear the route.

Then, on May 13, the administration sent a proposal of their demands to the government, after which Rautela and her associates descended from the water tank.

Dalanwala Police booked Rautela and her associates under sections 126-2 (wrongful restraint), 221 (obstruction), 223 (disobedience), 226 (suicide attempt), 292 (public nuisance), and 329-3 (criminal trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 23 of the Petroleum Act.

The FIR also cites the use of inflammable substances to threaten self-harm.