Adamant about buying a Thar, Madhya Pradesh farmer sets bike on fire on highway

The incident took place in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district on Saturday, November 7, evening, but videos of the dramatic episode surfaced on social media only as recently as Monday, November 9.

In Short

• Incident occurred on NH 552, video went viral on social media
• The man cited multiple bike accidents and leg injury as reason
• The burning bike caused traffic disruption and safety concerns

A farmer adamant on buying a Mahindra Thar went to an unusual extreme to publicly voice his determination by setting his motorcycle on fire in the middle of a highway in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district.

The man, who claimed that he had suffered multiple accidents while riding the two-wheeler, said he no longer wanted to travel by bike.

The incident took place on National Highway 552 (NH 552) on Saturday, November 7, evening, but videos of the dramatic episode surfaced on social media only as recently as Monday, November 9.

The farmer, identified as Ram Balwan Meena, set his motorbike ablaze as a crowd gathered around him.

One of the viral videos showed that as the flames engulfed the vehicle, he declared before a small crowd that he would not settle for anything less than a Thar.

Meena told people at the spot that he had been in a road accident around two months ago and sustained an injury to his leg. Since then, he had become adamant about buying an SUV.

The incident also created a potentially dangerous situation for motorists travelling along the highway.

With petrol still present in the motorcycle's fuel tank, there were fears of an explosion, raising the risk to other vehicles and commuters passing by.

The burning motorbike also disrupted traffic, causing inconvenience to motorists.

Following a call to Dial-112, a police team reached the spot. However, by the time they arrived, Meena had already boarded a bus and left for his village.

Speaking over the phone, Head Constable Randhir Singh, part of the responding police team, confirmed the incident.

A viral video of the burning bike has gone viral on social media, drawing varied reactions.

The two-wheeler was charred by the time the police team reached the scene.

While his dramatic way of expressing his desire for a Thar has sparked discussion, the exact circumstances and reasons behind his decision to torch the motorcycle remain unclear.

- Ends
(Based on inputs from Khemraj Dubey)