MAHARASHTRA COLLEGE TEACHER SET ABLAZE BY STALKER, CRITICAL

A 24-year-old teacher in a college in Maharashtra’s Wardha district was set ablaze on Monday by a man who was stalking her, police said. The woman sustained 40% burns and has been admitted to a private hospital in Nagpur in a critical condition. According to the police, the incident occurred when the woman was on her way to college.

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 arrested the attacker and the woman has been shifted to a nursing home in Nagpur,” 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,” he said.

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.

A hospital bulletin stated 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”.