AN ASYLUM seeker who set himself on fire minutes before a Glasgow court hearing has died.

AN ASYLUM seeker who set himself on fire minutes before a Glasgow court hearing has died.

Uddhav Bhandari, 40, from Nepal, doused himself in petrol as he waited for his case to be called at the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal Centre in Bothwell Street.

The former bodyguard, who had been seeking refuge in Scotland, claimed he would be killed if he went back to his homeland for exposing police corruption.

The father-of-two fled from Nepal to Edinburgh six years ago, but was facing a second immigration hearing which could have seen him sent back.

The proceedings on Wednesday, March 7, were to be heard on video link by three judges in London.

Witnesses said he set fire to his clothes in the reception of the Eagle Building as staff made attempts to put out the flames. Paramedics rushed the victim to Glasgow Royal Infirmary where he died on Sunday night.

Robina Qureshi, director of Positive Action in Housing, said: "Uddhav Bhandari worked as a volunteer helping to recycle bicycles for disadvantaged families. He died alone in hospital.

"He was a victim of an asylum policy that persecutes and tortures the victims of persecution and torture."

She added there are now more than 1600 asylum-seeking families living in Glasgow and many have children who have been born and brought up here.

Ms Qureshi said: "They want to stay but are tortured daily with the threat of removal. The real question is how come Scotland, which has the fastest declining population in Western Europe, is prepared to stand by while our future lifeblood is sent back?"