Boy carries petrol to school, sets himself on fire

A class 8 student of a private school in Faridabad doused himself in petrol and set himself on fire in the school bathroom on Wednesday sustaining 45% burn injuries.

A class 8 student of a private school in Faridabad doused himself in petrol and set himself on fire in the school bathroom on Wednesday sustaining 45% burn injuries.

The 13-year-old boy, undergoing treatment at Safdarjung hospital, has claimed he was under pressure because of homework and harsh scolding from a teacher, which led him to take the extreme step.

Police said that after attending the morning assembly at Holy Child Public School in Sector 29, the boy went to the bathroom and took out his water bottle, which he had used to sneak in petrol.

He poured the fuel over himself and set himself alight. “He was found by a cleaning lady who alerted the police and the boy was rushed to the nearest hospital,” said Deepak Roy, school principal.

“Initial investigations revealed the minor was allegedly harassed by his teacher in front of the class, which led him to take the step. The boy has confessed to have procured the fuel from a petrol pump in sector 29 in a bottle, hid it in his school bag and then ignited himself in the second-floor washroom,” a Delhi Police official said.

An FIR will be registered and an investigation will begin once we get the boy’s statement, said Subhash Yadav, Commissioner of Police, Faridabad.