Varanasi, Jul 20 (IANS): A Banaras Hindu University (BHU) faculty member and warden of the Sarojini Naidu girls hostel ended her life by suicide.

Dr Kiran Singh, 45, set herself on fire in her room on varsity campus on Monday.

Additional Deputy Police Commissioner Vikas Chandra Tripathi said that during initial investigation, it has been found that she was upset due to health issues for a long time.

The body has been sent for post mortem and further investigation is underway, he said.

Dr Singh, an associate professor in molecular and human genetics department of BHU lived in the warden quarter of the Sarojini Naidu hostel with her husband Vivek Singh and daughter Swayamprabha.

Her husband told the police that he had gone to Sigra for some work while their daughter was playing in a room on the ground floor of the house when the incident took place.

Dr Singh had sent back their domestic help, Rajendra, when he had come to clean the house.

After sometime Swayamprabha noticed fumes on the first floor and raised an alarm.

The proctorial board personnel ran towards the house and informed the fire brigade. However, before the fire in the room could be extinguished Dr Singh had died.

Inspector Lanka, Mahesh Pandey, said that following initial inspection of the incident site it is suspected that she had torched papers in the room to set it on fire.

Police also called forensic experts for evidence collection.