Daijiworld Media Network - Ramanagara (SP)

Ramanagara, Aug 17: In a horrific incident which happened at Bennappanapalya village, Magadi taluk in the district on Thursday August 17, a lady teacher was set afire by her husband when she was teaching in her class. The victim of the incident, a resident of Tavarekere, who is in critical condition, stands admitted into Victoria Hospital here.

The teacher in question, identified as K G Sunanda (50), was wounded badly in the incident. Renuka Prasad, Sunanda's husband, is said to be the culprit.

Longstanding disagreement over financial matters between the duo is said to have culminated in this attack. It is said that after starting fire, Renuka Prasad went away in his car without coming to the help of his burning wife.

The police,who have registered a case, are now searching for the husband of the woman. He reportedly is the second husband of Sunanda. Sunanda's first marriage had lasted only for five years as her husband died. She has a son from the first marriage. She married Renuka Prasad from Tumakuru only three months back, it is learnt. Prasad operates a roadside eatery at Kyatsandra.

The police have recorded Sunanda's statement as per which Renuka Prasad had forcibly taken away her gold ornaments worth about Rs 5 lac. She said that on Tuesday, her husband had withdrawn Rs 80,000 from her accounts by using her ATM cards without intimating her. Although he sought more money from her, she was wary of parting with it as she feared that it would put her dream of making her son an engineer in jeopardy. On this issue, the couple had quarreled, it is gathered.

Angry at his wife for not giving him money as demanded, Renuka Prasad came to school in his car with a plastic container filled with kerosene,it is said. He directly went to the classroom where his wife was teaching, and ordered the students to go out of the room. He then began to quarrel with Sunanda on the same issue, and then ignited fire after pouring kerosene on her body. He left thereafter in his car, as per details collected by the police.

Hearing shouts of Sunanda, headmaster of the school went to the room and took her to the government hospital at Magadi. After initial care there, she was shifted to Victoria Hospital here where her condition remains critical.