Headmaster immolates self in UP

Lucknow: In a horrific incident, a school headmaster immolated self in a classroom of a primary school in Lalitpur district on Saturday evening, the day he retired form service.

He left behind a detailed suicide note on the blackboard.

According to sources, Om Prakash Pateriya was working as a headmaster in a primary school situated in Samkhaira village. On his last day of service, he worked till late evening in the school to complete his papers of superannuation. He was disturbed as his salary had been withheld and he had not been getting even a single penny for the last six months.  

He was also denied the “No Dues Certificate” required for getting his retirement papers cleared. The gram sabha officials were apparently seeking bribe for clearing his papers and dues.

In the suicide note, Pateriya named five persons, including gram pradhan Mohan Singh and mid-day meal coordinator Kapil Dubey, who, he claimed, were demanding bribe and were responsible for his harassment.

The victim has also alleged that student monitoring committee chief Sohan Singh was also demanding money for signing the no dues certificate.

Police reports said that on Saturday evening, a mason who was working on the school premises suddenly saw smoke coming out of a classroom and alerted the authorities. It was found that Pateriya had immolated self by dousing himself with kerosene inside the classroom but only after scribbling a detailed suicide note on the blackboard.

The authorities rushed to the classroom and broke the door open finding Pateriya badly burnt. He was immediately rushed to the Community Health Centre and then referred to Jhansi Medical College, where he succumbed during the course of treatment.

An FIR against Mohan Singh, Kapil Dubey, Sohan Singh, Bunti Raja and Rupesh Kumar Niranjan, all named in the suicide note, was lodged under relevant sections of the IPCat Talbeth police station on Sunday.

Lalitpur district magistrate Manvendra Singh said that the gram pradhan was arrested, while the contract of mid-day meal coordinator Kapil Dubey was suspended. Rest of the four accused were absconding and a hunt was on to nab them.