Amaravati, Jun 16 (IANS): In a horrific incident, a 10th class student was burnt alive by some unidentified persons in Andhra Pradesh's Bapatla district on Friday.

The attackers poured petrol on U. Amarnath (15) and set him afire when he was on his way to tuition. He was rushed to a Government General Hospital at Guntur in a critical condition, where he succumbed.

The incident occurred in Rajavolu village of Cherukupalli mandal (block) on Friday morning.

Amarnath, a student of 10th class in a local school, was going to tuition on his bicycle when he was stopped by some youth near Redlapalem. They poured petrol on him and set him afire.

Hearing the cries of the boy, locals rushed to douse the fire and shifted him to GGH Guntur. He, however, succumbed to the injuries. In his dying declaration, the boy told police that Venkateshwar Reddy and a few others torched him.

Meanwhile, Amarnath's grandfather Reddaiah said a boy who was harassing Amarnath's sister was responsible for the killing. Amarnath had pulled up the boy for harassing his sister. He had questioned the boy for roaming around the college where his sister was studying.

Police registered a case and launched a hunt for the assailants.