Warangal: A 20-year-old woman was set on fire after being doused in petrol, in broad daylight, by her male friend at Hanamkonda on Wednesday. Suffering 70 per cent burns, the young woman is fighting for her life in a private hospital in Hyderabad.
According to Commissioner of Police V. Ravinder, the attack took place at about 9 am when the young woman, T. Ravali, from Ramachandrapuram in Sangem mandal of Warangal Rural district, was on her way to college with two other women students. Her assailant, P. Sai Anvesh, from Chennaram in Wardhannpet mandal of Warangal rural district was lying in wait for her outside the hostel. They are both final year students at a college in Nayeem Nagar.
According to fellow students in the college, the two had been in a relationship for a while but had broken up recently. Anvesh, however, wanted to resume the relationship but not Ravali.
Anvesh and a friend followed her on his bike. At the corner of the street the two had a heated argument. Ravali was firm in her decision not to take the relationship forward. Anvesh then pulled out a bottle of petrol from his college bag, threw it on her and in front of other students set her ablaze with a match. He then ran away. He was later taken into custody.
Eyewitnesses said Ravali was screaming in pain. Bystanders attempted to put out the fire by throwing mud on her and wrapping her in a bed sheet provided by a local resident. They called for an ambulance which took her first to MGM hospital in Warangal and later she was admitted to a private hospital in Hyderabad.
