Delay in issuing mark sheet: Pharmacy college principal set ablaze by ex-student in Indore
BHOPAL: In a shocking incident, a 50-year-old lady principal of a private pharmacy college in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district was allegedly set ablaze on the college campus by an ex-student over a delay in the issuance of mark sheet on Monday.
The incident happened around 4 pm in the BM Pharmacy College campus in the Simrol area on Indore’s outskirts while the principal Vimukta Verma was about to board the car for returning home at the end of the working day.
The ex-student, identified as Ashutosh Srivastava (22) had a heated argument with her over the delay in the issuance of mark-sheet, after which he poured petrol and set ablaze the lady principal.
“As per the primary probe, the accused student was waiting at the college gate, with a container replete filled with petrol. He poured it all over on the principal and set her ablaze with a cigarette lighter, while she was plucking Bel leaves before boarding the car to return home," SP-Indore Rural BS Virde told The New Indian Express.
"Despite sustaining burns on his hands, he fled the spot on his motorcycle to the Tincha Waterfalls (around 7 km away) and was about to attempt suicide. After dialing-100 an emergency cop vehicle named Veer Singh had reached the spot after receiving information from local residents and saved him by posing as a common man, who too was there to end his life," he said.
“Ashutosh was arrested later and is under medical treatment under police custody,” he added.
On the other hand, despite being all in flames, the college principal Vimukta Sharma ran for help to some college staff who too were preparing to leave for home, after which she was rushed to the hospital.
While the middle-aged principal sustained 80% per cent burns and is stated critical at a private hospital in Indore city, the accused student too has sustained 40% burns and is under medical treatment in police custody at another hospital.
“The accused ex-student has been booked for attempted murder under Section 307 IPC,” Virde said.
Similarly, the same ex- B.Pharm student (who resides in the Airport Road area of Indore city), who had passed the seventh and eighth semesters of B.Pharma in 2022 from the concerned private college did not receive the mark sheet and had attacked Vijay Patel, a male faculty of the college with a knife, after which he was arrested under the 25 Arms Act. He came out on bail a few weeks back.
The police are now trying to figure out why the accused wasn’t getting the mark sheet from the college that is affiliated with Rajiv Gandhi Praudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV), which is a state government varsity.