A Jilted Lover Sets Girl On Fire And Kills Himself By Embracing Her On Kerala Campus

A jilted lover set afire a 21-year-old physiotherapy student in Kerala college campus after dousing her in petrol, and killed himself by embracing her.The youth, a former student of School of Medical Education in Kottayam, chased her through the college corridors after soaking her in petrol, caught up with her in the library, yanked her to him in a tight embrace and lit her with the cigarette lighter he pulled out from the pocket --- turning her into a living effigy.

According to reports, 25-year-old Adarsh and Lakshmi were in a relationship six months ago but she had broken it up. He continued to stalk her and her father had complained to the police on January 10.

In his dying declaration to the Judicial First Class Magistrate, he reportedly said that when Lakshmi spurned him in front of her classmates he felt humiliated and decided to kill her.

According to a student who witnessed the build-up and act of crime told Outlook on condition of anonymity that “Adarsh came to the physiotherapy classroom to meet Lakshmi on Wednesday morning but she refused to meet him alone”. Adarsh completed his course in 2013 but had to still clear a few of his papers. He had come to the campus on the pretext of writing his exam. He left the room but came back at noon carrying a can of petrol. He looked as if he had a walk in the rain.

“Adarsh ran into the physiotherapy classroom, poured petrol over Lakshmi’s head. The fuel splashed everywhere in the classroom and fell on her classmates too. Screaming with fear, Lakshmi’s classmates ran from the room. Lakshmi, too, ran to the library to escape.

“There are only two boys in Lakshmi’s class and the rest are girls. Someone overturned a chair in the commotion and Adarsh slipped but he managed to get up and run after Lakshmi.”

Ashwin KS, a BSc Medical Laboratory Technology student, and 19 others were sitting in the library. Most of the students were busy with chart work because there was a medical camp scheduled for February 2.

“The time was about 1.15 pm when we heard the terrible shrieks of girls, we just ran towards the noise. I saw Lakshmy running towards us, crying at the top of her voice to save her. Adarsh was close behind,” said Ashwin.

“We didn’t know they were soaked in petrol. Ajmal Shahul, a senior student from radiology and I tried to push Adarsh away. By then both had entered the library. He whipped out a lighter and embraced her in a tight grip and set her on fire. Lakshmi managed to run out to the corridor but she was unrecognizable within a few minutes.”

She had on a polyester dress and it clung to her, burning her further. We ran and got water from the toilet and tried to put out the flames but it was too late,” said Ashwin. “We didn’t know they were soaked in petrol and so within seconds our hands caught on fire too. We could do nothing to save her.”

Her teachers who ran to the scene covered her with cloth and tried to carry her but she was too badly burnt.

Soon after, Adarsh emerged from the library fully burnt and he was put into the ambulance that had arrived and sent to Kottayam medical college where they later succumbed to the burns.