A youth, spurned by a girl, killed her by setting her on fire and killed himself too in the same manner at the School of Medical Education (SME), a constituent college of the Mahatma Gandhi University here on Wednesday.
Adarsh (25), a 2009 batch student of the Bachelor of Physiotherapy programme offered by the Department Physiotherapy at the SME, is the son of Sinijan of Kailasamangalam House, Puthenthura, near Neendakara in Kollam district, the police said.
The victim is Lakshmi (21), a 2013 batch student of the same programme. She is the daughter of Krishnakumar of Sankaramangalam House, at Chingoli, near Haripad in Alappuzha.
Regi Ram, director in charge of the Gandhi Nagar campus of the the SME, said that Adarsh, who had to appear for a supplementary examination on Wednesday, came into the girl’s classroom during the midday break and wanted to have a private talk with her. As she refused, he went out and returned with a can of petrol and poured the fuel over himself. The girl then ran out of the room trying to seek refuge in the nearby library. But the boy chased her, poured the rest of the petrol on her and hugged her. He then threatened the students who tried to rescue them with pouring petrol on them. When they stood back, he set himself and the girl ablaze with a lighter.
Both were rushed to the Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital and their depositions were made under magisterial presence. According to R.P. Renjin, resident medical officer (RMO) of the hospital, the boy suffered 80% burns and the girl 65%.
Sources in the SME said both were seeing each other for some time, but the girl backed out some time ago. The boy was, however, persistent with his overtures.
Adarsh died of his burns by 7 p.m. and the girl after half-an-hour.
Two students who tried to help the girl also suffered burns.
