MAPUSA
A 50-year-old hotelier who sustained 95% burn injuries after setting himself ablaze in Saligao died while undergoing treatment at the GMC hospital at Bambolim on Saturday morning.
According to sources, Ashpak Khan, who had been under severe stress over mounting debts, had travelled to Saligao on Friday evening and parked his two-wheeler outside the house of his former business partner.
Khan then climbed directly onto the terrace of the house, taking along with him a bottle of petrol. Khan was alone on the terrace at the time of the incident and the incident had been captured on CCTV footage.
Khan doused himself in petrol and set himself ablaze. On hearing his screams, family members of his former business partner rushed to the terrace and were horrified to see Khan engulfed in flames. A 108 ambulance rushed him to the Mapusa District Hospital in a critical condition. Since he had sustained 95 per cent burn injuries, he was referred to the GMC hospital, where he died of injuries on Saturday morning.
After an autopsy at the GMC hospital, police handed over the body to family members, who left for their native village in Maharashtra for final rites.
Police investigations revealed that Khan had told many of his friends that he had been in serious debt. Khan had been running three hotels in partnership with his former business partner. The debts began to mount during the Covid pandemic and their partnership fell apart some time later.
About two years ago, there had been a major dispute between them at Calangute and since then there had been no communication between the two former business partners.
Saligao police have registered a case of unnatural death.
