Bulandshahr, Sep 9 (PTI) Bogged down by mounting debts due to his stalled business amid the COVID lockdown for months, a 35-year-old businessman committed suicide by setting himself ablaze in Kotwali Nagar here, police said on Wednesday.

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Riyazuddin, who used to manufacture wardrobes in Faisalabad locality of Kotwali Nagar area in the city, took the extreme step on Tuesday evening when his family members had gone to attend a social function to their relative's house, said city police station SHO Yogendra Singh.

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Quoting the victim's family members, the SHO said Riyazuddin was upset over his mounting debts and was not having even proper meals for the last three-four days.

With his family members out last evening, he bolted himself in his house and set himself afire, he said, adding his neighbours informed the police after seeing the smoke blowing out of his house.

The police reached the spot immediately and broke open his door, said the SHO, adding his body was completely burnt by then and he died on the spot.

Singh said he had bought raw materials from Delhi and Meerut before the lockdown.

As his business got stalled amid the lockdown, he borrowed money from his friends to pay his raw material suppliers.

As he resumed his business recently after the lockdown, his lenders began to pester him for their money, which Riyazuddin was still not able to pay due to little business transactions.

Distressed by his inability to pay off his debts, the man committed suicide, said the SHO.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)