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Maharashtra teacher set ablaze by stalker, accused held
Nagpur: A 24-year-old teacher in a college in Maharashtra’s Wardha district was set ablaze on Monday morning by a man who was stalking her, police said. The woman
Nagpur: A 24-year-old teacher in a college in Maharashtra’s Wardha district was set ablaze on Monday morning by a man who was stalking her, police said. The woman sustained 40% burns and inhalation injuries, and has been admitted to a private hospital in Nagpur in a critical condition.
The accused, Vikesh Nagrale (27), has been arrested, the police added.
“We are trying to ascertain the motive behind the incident. We have already arrested the attacker and the woman has been shifted to a private nursing home at Nagpur for treatment,” Hinganghat police inspector Satyaveer Bhandivar said.
According to the police, the incident occurred when the woman, on her way to college, alighted from a state transport bus in Wardha’s Hingnaghat town at around 7.30am.
Nagrale approached her on his motorcycle, poured petrol on her, and set her on fire, Bhandivar said.
“Some passersby poured water on the woman to douse the fire, and rushed her to a nearby primary health centre, from where she was shifted to Orange City Hospital in Nagpur. She has suffered 40% burns,” he added.
The director of Orange City Hospital, Dr Anup Marar, said the woman was admitted to the intensive care unit. “A special team of doctors of the hospital have been engaged for her treatment,” he said.
Hospital authorities later released a bulletin stating that the woman has suffered “grade-II deep dermal burns covering scalp, face, right upper limb, left hand, upper back, full neck with approximation of 40% burns with inhalation injuries affecting the respiratory system”.
Nagrale, who fled the scene of the crime, was nabbed from Takalghat village and charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), Wardha’s superintendent of police Basavaraj Teli told PTI.
The accused was a friend of the victim till two years ago, but she severed ties with him due to his “irrational behaviour”, Bhandivar said.
“Nagrale is a married man and has a seven-month-old son. He works at a firm in Balharshah. He used to stalk the woman. He had even tried to commit suicide last year, though no complaint was lodged at that time,” he added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh condemned the incident and ordered the police superintendent to conduct a probe into the matter. “I had a talk with Wardha SP and have ordered an inquiry,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
