Man sets teacher-wife on fire in classroom

A man set his teacher-wife on fire in front of her students in a classroom in government primary school of Bennappanapalya village, Magadi taluk, about 45 kilometer from Bengaluru.

K G Sunanda (50), who sustained 20% burns was shifted to Victoria Hospital. Her condition is stated to be critical.

Financial dispute between Sunanda and her husband Renukaprasad is said to the cause for the attack. The police have launched a manhunt to trace Renukaprasad.

Renukaprasad is Sunanda’s second husband. She married him three months ago. Her first husband died five years after the marriage. Sunanda has a son from her first husband.

Renukaprasad hails from Tumakuru and runs a dhaba at Kyathsandra. The couple reside in Tavarkere.

Sunanda told the police that her husband robbed her of jewellery worth Rs five lakh. He had withdrawn Rs 80,000 using her ATM cards on Tuesday. He demanded more money, but she refused to pay him as she needed money for her son’s engineering education. The couple had fought over the issue.

Renukaprasad reached the school in his car around noon. He was carrying a plastic bottle containing kerosene. He barged into the classroom and sent students out. He picked a fight with Sunanda, poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze. He later drove of in his car, said the police.

The school headmaster rushed into the classroom as Sunanda raised an alarm. He shifted her to Magadi government hospital. She was later shifted to the Victoria Hospital .