A fanatic follower of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect attempted self-immolation at Sirsa in Haryana on Monday.
The condition of 25 year old Sukhvinder Singh, who received 60 per cent burns, was serious, the police said.
The youth was among a group of  Dera followers who have been sitting in dharna in front of the office of the deputy commissioner at Sirsa since last week, in protest against a police case of blasphemy registered against the sect chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, in neighbouring Punjab. A lower court in Punjab had also issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the sect chief.

Even though the Punjab and Haryana High Court had last week granted interim bail to the sect chief till August 6, the Dera followers are demanding quashing of the case.
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As the rest of the protesters watched in horror, Sukhvinder, in a fit of anguish, set himself ablaze by pouring kerosene outside the office of the deputy commissioner.

He was badly burnt, even as the fellow Dera followers tried to douze the flames, police said.