Row over TC leads to fire in college, three injured

HYDERABAD: Refusal by Narayana Junior College management in Bagh Amberpet to issue a transfer certificate to a student who completed his Intermediate course, resulted in a serious incident of fire in the college on Friday that left one student in a critical condition with 60 per cent burns who is battling for his life, while another student sustained about 35 per cent burns and an administrative officer of the college with more than 50 per cent burns. All three were admitted to a private hospital for treatment.

The student Sai Narayana was accompanied by B. Sandeep, 23, a leader of the Telangana Students Union and a student of Osmania University, when he went to the college to seek a transfer certificate. During discussions with college principal Sudhakar Reddy, Sandeep threatened to set himself on fire if the transfer certificate was not issued.

Sandeep opened a bottle of petrol he was carrying and poured it on himself, spilling some around in the process and the fuel caught fire from a lamp that was lit before a picture of a deity on the principal’s desk.

The fire immediately engulfed Sandeep, who held on to 51-year-old M. Ashok Reddy, the college’s administrative officer, apparently for help. An ABVP student leader from OU, 28-year-old V. Venkatachary also suffered burns as his clothes caught fire.

The three were first taken to Gandhi Hospital, and then to a private hospital near Parade Ground and from there to another private hospital in Santoshnagar.

Sai Narayana was not injured in the incident, the police said. Members of his family alleged that the college management was harassing him by not issuing the transfer certificate as the student owed Rs 16,000 towards fee arrears.

Meanwhile, the practice of junior colleges, including the Narayana chain of colleges of withholding certificates, came under fire from the Board of Intermediate Education. On Friday evening, following the incident at Narayana Junior College, the BIE said in a statement that no document of a student could be withheld under any circumstance. The college, meanwhile, claimed that it would take legal action on the student who set off the fire resulting in injuries.

Education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy ordered the BIE to conduct a full investigation into the entire incident, take action and ensure that such events do not recur.