A college administrator from Hyderabad who was injured in an accidental fire resulting from a student unions’ protest earlier on August 19, passed away on Sunday, September 4. Administrative Officer Ashok Reddy (50) was one of the three people who were seriously injured in the incident, when student union leaders had gone to Narayana College in Amberpet, Hyderabad, demanding a Transfer Certificate (TC) on behalf of a student. A student union leader, Sandeep, had brought petrol and threatened to set himself and the college principal on fire, as the college management had refused to issue the TC till the student cleared his fee dues. However, the fire accidentally spread due to a lamp lit nearby. Sandeep, another student union leader named Venkatachari, and AO Ashok Reddy were seriously injured in the incident and were hospitalised.
Ashok Reddy, who passed away on Sunday, had suffered 50% burns and his vital organs were damaged, Amberpet Station House Officer (SHO) P Sudhakar said, adding that he had suffered kidney and heart failure. Student union leader Sandeep had suffered 80% burn injuries and doctors said his body wasn’t cooperating with treatment, the SHO added. Meanwhile, Venkatachari suffered 30% burn injuries and his condition is stable, Sudhakar said. “Once we receive Ashok Reddy’s dying declaration and inquest report, we will alter the sections in the case accordingly. We are yet to take legal opinion in the case since Sandeep (who would be the accused) is also in a critical condition,” he said.
The fire accident occurred in the afternoon on August 19, when Sandeep and a few others had gone to the college to talk to the principal, Sudhakar Reddy, on behalf of a student named Sai Narayana, who had applied for a TC. As the principal refused to issue the TC till the student cleared his fee dues, in the midst of an argument, Sandeep made a threat by pouring petrol on himself and also on the principal. Incidentally, there happened to be a lamp on the table in the principal’s office, which caught fire due to the petrol.