A 19-year-old Muslim student was injured after an alleged arson attack in broad daylight outside Hindu College in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad on Thursday, triggering panic in the area and raising concerns about campus safety.
The student, Farhad Ali, a third-semester BCom student, was attacked shortly after he stepped out of the examination hall. He sustained burn injuries and was taken to the hospital, police said.
According to police, two students of the same college, Aarush Singh, 21, a third-semester BA student, and Deepak Kumar, 20, allegedly hurled a flammable substance at the victim near the college gate and set him on fire. Both accused were later arrested, police said.
Witnesses said flames quickly engulfed Ali’s clothes, prompting students and passers-by to rush to his rescue. Several people used water bottles and pieces of cloth to douse the fire before shifting him to a private hospital.
His friend, Deepak Singh Chauhan, described the incident, saying that right after the exam was over, while they were passing through the first-floor corridor, the attackers suddenly stopped Farhad and carried out the attack. He was later referred to the district hospital. Doctors said he sustained around eight per cent burn injuries, mostly on his thighs, and his condition is stable.
A day after the incident, Ali rejected the police’s initial suggestion that the fire might have been accidental.
Speaking to The Times of India from his hospital bed, he said the attack was premeditated.
“They intentionally poured petrol on me from a white bottle and set me on fire. If it was an accident, why did they use a lighter?” he said, adding that Deepak Kumar brought the petrol while Aarush Singh set him on fire.
Ali said he has suffered serious injuries to his leg and has lodged an FIR seeking strict action against the accused for what he described as a “planned attack”.
Moradabad City SP Kumar Ranvijay Singh said preliminary findings indicate that a petrol-filled bottle was used in the attack.
“It appears a flammable substance was used. Forensic samples have been collected and sent for chemical analysis. CCTV footage from nearby areas is also being examined,” he said.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear. Police said statements of witnesses have been recorded and efforts are underway to trace and arrest the accused. Hindu College is one of the city’s older educational institutions, and the incident has led to heightened police presence around the campus.
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