School principal charred to death, police suspect suicide

RANCHI: A government school headmaster was burnt to death after his office caught fire on Wednesday in Pakur district. The cause behind the fire was unknown, police said.

The incident took place at a government middle school in

Pochaibeda village under Amrapara police station. The deceased was identified as Nakul Pandey (55).

Police, however, were also probing the case as a possible case of suicide.

“Prima facie, it appears to be a case of suicide, as the door of his office was locked from inside. There is little possibility of shortcircuit, as there is only one bulb and fan in the room. However, we are investigating the case,” said Manoj Kumar, officer in-charge of Amrapara police station.

“We can say anything concrete after the investigation is completed. We are yet to talk to family members of the deceased,” Kumar said.

According to the police, only the headmaster and an assistant teacher had gone to the school on Wednesday. “The headmaster sent the assistant teacher to the village to call students for the midday meal. The headmaster was alone in his office at that time,” police said.

Villager residents suddenly saw smoke billowing out of the school around 1pm.

They rushed to the school and found the headmaster’s chamber burning. They doused the fire and found the headmaster’s charred body on the ground, police said.

A resident of Kalitalla colony in Pakur district headquarters, Pandey had been serving in schools since 2004.