Farhad Ali, a 19-year-old BCom student, suffered about 8% burns in the attack; police named fellow students Aarush Singh and Deepak Kumar as the accused.
A 19-year-old commerce student was set on fire outside an examination centre at a college in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district on Thursday, allegedly by two fellow students, police said.
The victim, identified as Farhad Ali, a BCom student, suffered about 8% burn injuries and is in stable condition, officials said.
Police said the attack occurred outside Hindu College shortly after Ali completed his examination. The accused have been identified as Aarush Singh, 21, a BA third-year student, and Deepak Kumar, 20, both enrolled at the same college. They fled the scene after allegedly throwing a flammable substance at the victim.
“It appears the attackers used a petrol-filled bottle. We are collecting forensic samples to confirm this,” Moradabad Superintendent of Police Kumar Ranvijay Singh said, adding that a case has been registered and efforts are underway to trace the suspects.
Witnesses said Ali’s clothes caught fire moments after he stepped out of the exam centre, triggering panic on the campus. Students and passers-by rushed to extinguish the flames using water and cloth.
Ali was initially taken to a private hospital and later shifted to the district hospital, where his condition was reported to be stable.
The motive for the attack remains unclear. Police have recorded statements from witnesses and are reviewing CCTV footage from the area. The bottle suspected to have been used in the attack has been sent for chemical analysis, officials said.