A 50-year-old teacher was set on fire by her husband at the government lower primary school in Shambaiahna palya on the outskirts of the city on Wednesday morning after he doused her with petrol. Ms. Sunanda was teaching three students when her husband, Renukananda, barged into the classroom. He asked the children to leave the room saying he wanted to talk to his wife. Just as they filed into the adjacent classroom where the headmaster was holding a class, they heard Ms. Sunanda’s screams for help.
“The moment I heard her screams, I ran out of my classroom and saw Renukananda running from the school towards his parked car. I entered the classroom and saw Ms. Sunanda engulfed in flames,” said headmaster M. Shivanna, who immediately tried dousing the flames with a tablecloth.
Around 13 students followed him into the classroom. While some children ran helter-skelter in panic, others ran to get water to put out the fire. Mr. Shivanna urged the students to get help from residents living nearby.
Mr. Shivanna’s presence of mind probably helped save Ms. Sunanda’s life. She is at present in a private hospital in the city where she is being treated for over 40% burns. Doctors say that while she appears to be out of danger, she is still under observation. Mr. Shivanna was treated for burns on his hand.
The police later learned that Renukananda had sought the headmaster’s permission to speak to his wife by claiming that he had to take her to the doctor as she was suffering from chikungunya. “I thought they wanted to talk in private so I said it was okay for the children to sit in my class,” said the headmaster.
Inquiries revealed that Renukananda is Sunanda’s second husband and the couple have been quarrelling over money. According to the police, he had been demanding ₹2 lakh and gold valuables from her to start a business venture, but she had refused. Instead, she handed over her savings to her son who is studying engineering in Chikkamagaluru. This could be the reason behind the attack, the police said. “A special team has been formed to track down the accused,” said Superintendent of Police B. Ramesh.
