Overview

• The victim, identified as Smriti Dixit, sustained about 25% burns and was referred from a district hospital to Jabalpur Medical College for further treatment.
• Police arrested 18-year-old Suryansh Kochar in Kalyanpur after he fled the scene and booked him for attempted murder.
• Investigators say the assailant went to the teacher’s residence on Monday, asked her to step outside to apologise, then poured petrol on her and set her alight; she jumped into a drain to douse the flames.
• Authorities and school officials said Kochar had been expelled earlier from the Government School of Excellence in Narsinghpur and later enrolled at a government school in Kalyanpur.
• Police and school statements indicate the teacher had recently complained about objectionable comments, and the investigation into motive and prior harassment reports is ongoing.