Indore college principal set ablaze by ex-student passes away

According to reports, a team of doctors who had been monitoring Vimukta Sharma's health conditions, declared her dead at around 4 a.m.

Bhopal: A principal of a private pharmacy college in Indore, who was set ablaze by a former student on February 20 and had been battling for life after having suffered 80 per cent burn injuries, passed away at a hospital on Saturday.

According to reports, a team of doctors who had been monitoring Vimukta Sharma’s health conditions, declared her dead at around 4 a.m.

The incident took place in the premises of the BM Pharmacy College when the 54-year-old principal leaving for home.

In the meantime, the accused Ashutosh Srivastava (24) approached her and after a short argument over delay in issuance of his mark-sheet, poured petrol on her and set her ablaze with a cigarette lighter.

Shrivastava was arrested just hours after the incident.

“The principal has succumbed to her injuries during treatment. We found that the student had failed in the 7th semester. We have already arrested the accused,” Bhagwat Singh Virde, Police superintendent (Indore rural) said.

Srivastava has been slapped with the stringent National Security Act (NSA) as per an order issued by Indore District Collector Ilayaraja T.

“During probe, we found two to three complaints were made against Srivastava by the pharmacy college authorities, the woman principal and other staff, who claimed the accused was threatening suicide,” he told reporters on Friday.