Jamshedpur: In a shocking incident, a man tried to set himself and his Tata Safari SUV on fire in protest against repeated technical issues with the vehicle.

The incident happened at the ASL Motors showroom in Mango, Jamshedpur. Fortunately, the local police managed to rescue the man, identified as Sumit. He had reportedly purchased the SUV in January 2024 for approximately ₹32 lakh.

He alleged that since the purchase, the vehicle has faced persistent technical problems. Despite being sent to the service centre nearly 8 to 9 times, he claimed that only temporary fixes were made, and the issues continued to resurface.

Following this, authorities intervened swiftly to prevent the situation from escalating further. An investigation is underway.

“I have been to the showroom, the company, and even filed a written complaint with the police, but no one is listening. I’ve reached a point where I felt that if the car doesn’t exist, and I don’t exist, there will be no more stress,” Sumit said, explaining why he resorted to the extreme step.

He alleged that his vehicle was parked at the company’s service centre for almost nine months, during which it suffered further damage -- including flooding that caused the underbody to rust.

He also accused the service centre staff of tampering with the car’s wiring without his consent and then pressuring him to take the vehicle back despite unresolved issues.

Sumit claimed to have photographic and video evidence of the water damage, as well as documentation of technical failures such as a faulty AC fan and brake issues.

“They said -- burn the car if you want, set yourself on fire -- we don’t care,” he added -- recalling a conversation with showroom staff that pushed him to the edge.

The local police, while confirming the incident, said they intervened before the situation could escalate further.

They also stated that since it was a matter between a private customer and the dealership, their role was limited.

However, they warned that attempting suicide is a punishable offence under Indian law. IANS