A Class 5 student di£d after she allegedly set herself on fire inside the toilet of a government school in Patna on Wednesday, August 27, police said.
The incident occurred at Kanya Madhya Vidyalaya in Amla Tola under the Gardanibagh police station area.
The victim, Zoya Parveen,1,, was the daughter of Shamsher and a resident of Chitkohra.
According to the police, the incident took place around 10am, shortly after the morning prayer.
Some female students went to wash room and noticed smoke coming from there and alerted the teachers.
With the help of local police, the bathroom’s door was forcibly opened, and it was found that Zoya was burning in the fire. She was rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) but succumbed to her injuries. She suffered burns over 90% of her body.
The incident sparked outrage among family members and students, leading to vandalism at the school premises.
Protesters blocked the road near Chitkohra bridge and set tyres ablaze. Police officers and school staff were reportedly assaulted during the unrest.
Patna SP (Central) Diksha, who arrived at the spot to calm the situation, confirmed that the girl was still alive when police reached the school and was immediately taken to PMCH.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that the girl committed su!cide as the wash room’s door was locked from inside and it lacked windows. However, the case is being probed from all angles, including the possibility of some foul play. A bottle containing about half a litre of kerosene was recovered from the spot, and forensic teams have collected evidence for further analysis,” she said.
Meanwhile, Zoya’s family strongly disputed the su!cide theory raised by the police. Her father, Shamsher, alleged that his daughter was murd£red.
“My daughter cannot commit su!cide. Someone poured kerosene on her and set her on fire,” he alleged.
Her elder brother, Shahbaz, who also studies in the same school, said Zoya appeared cheerful that morning when both came to the school.
Kamlesh Kumar, an assistant teacher of the school, corroborated the timeline, saying that smoke was noticed shortly after the morning prayer and the wash room’s door was broken open by the police. Following the protest, the school administration locked the main gate, he added.
Below is a video of the protest at the school following the student’s death.
