MP: Pharmacy college principal, set on fire by ex-student, dies
Indore, Feb 25: Five days after she was allegedly set on fire by a former student, the 54-year-old principal of a private pharmacy college succumbed to injuries on early Saturday morning, police said.
Dr Vimukta Sharma, principal of the B M College of Pharmacy, had been battling for life at a local hospital after Ashutosh Shrivastava (24) allegedly poured petrol on her and set her on fire on the college premises on February 20 over a dispute about a marksheet.
Sharma, who had suffered 80 per cent burns, could not be saved despite the best efforts by doctors, said Superintendent of Police (Rural) Bhagwat Singh Virde.
The accused, arrested on Monday itself, is in police custody, Virde told PTI.
The district administration has invoked the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against Shrivastava, he said.
Shrivastava was earlier booked for attempted murder, but now the charge of murder would be added to the First Information Report (FIR), the police official said.
Shrivastava allegedly told police during interrogation that the college authorities were not handing over the marksheet of B Pharm examination which he had cleared in July 2022.
But the college management termed this claim as false and alleged that he had criminal tendencies.
They also claimed that despite being asked to collect his marksheet repeatedly, he did not collect it.
The principal's dying declaration and other evidence collected by the police was enough to convict him, Virde said.
"We are going to seek trial by a special court and capital punishment for the accused," he added.
Shrivastava admitted to setting Sharma on fire but did not express any remorse, Virde claimed.
The city police have been facing flak ever since the gruesome incident took place.
The deceased's daughter Devanshi had claimed while speaking to PTI that the police did not act even after the family lodged a complaint against Shrivastava for sending threatening messages to her mother on WhatsApp a few months earlier.
But SP Virde said the complaints filed by Sharma and the college primarily stated that Shrivastava was threatening to commit suicide if he did not get the marksheet.
"We have already suspended an assistant sub-inspector for negligence in investigating these complaints," he said.
An Additional Superintendent of Police has been asked to carry out detailed investigation into the incident, Virde added.
"If the probe finds out any other policeman guilty of dereliction of duty in looking into the principal's complaints, he will face strict action," Virde added.
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Here's how netizens, media outlets projected Ashwini Kumar's bomb threat as 'Lashkar-e-Jihadi'
Mumbai: Mumbai was thrown into panic late on Thursday night when police received a WhatsApp message warning of a large-scale terror attack during the Ganesh festival. The message, written in the name of a jihadi group called “Lashkar-e-Jihadi,” claimed that 14 Pakistani terrorists had entered Mumbai with 400 kilograms of RDX loaded in 34 vehicles.
It warned of blasts that could kill as many as one crore people. Authorities immediately declared a high alert, and the case was handed over to the Crime Branch while the Anti-Terrorism Squad and other security agencies were put on standby.
Within hours, the threat made national headlines. Television channels and online portals reported the possibility of a terror strike, repeatedly linking the message to Pakistan-based groups.
The incident was projected as yet another attempt to destabilize Mumbai, and the supposed involvement of a jihadi outfit quickly gained traction across the media. However, a swift investigation by Mumbai Police traced the origin of the message to a very different source.
By Saturday, police had tracked down and arrested Ashwin Kumar Supra, a 50-year-old astrologer and Vastu consultant living in Sector 79 of Noida. Originally from Patna, Kumar admitted during interrogation that he had sent the message using the name of his former friend Firoz. In 2023, Firoz had lodged a fraud case against him at Phulwari Sharif police station in Patna, leading to Kumar’s three-month imprisonment. Seeking revenge, Kumar attempted to frame Firoz by posing as a jihadi terrorist. Police recovered his mobile phone, SIM cards, and other digital devices used in the hoax.
When the threat first came to light, social media was flooded with heated reactions. Journalist @Manju_IBNews wrote, “Another election around the corner!” while user @kv_mcu posted an aggressive comment demanding to “ban Islam and burn the Quran,” calling for mass deportations and tying the incident to culture and religion. In response, @RIMMS51979 countered sharply, saying, “Caller Name is Ashvini kumar what will you burn now.” Another user, @Valkyrie00777, questioned the credibility of the threat, pointing to contradictions in the claim that 14 terrorists had entered India with 34 bombs and 400 kilograms of RDX. Meanwhile, @Liberal51601607 remarked, “Terrorists have no religion.. Anyone..?”
Fact-checkers also weighed in. @zoo_bear (Mohammed Zubair) accused NDTV of omitting crucial context, posting: “Adani's TV hasn't mentioned that the accused Ashwini Kumar sent the bomb threat message to Mumbai police in the name of his friend Firoz to frame him.” The fact-check website Aazad Fact Check (@AazadFactCheck) published a detailed rebuttal, saying the story had quickly evolved into a propaganda tool. It noted that the supposed intelligence about “human bombs in vehicles” was technically flawed and described the entire sequence as “a pure example of Indian narrative building before a false flag operation.”
Adani's TV hasn't mentioned that the accused Ashwini Kumar sent the bomb threat message to Mumbai police in the name of his friend Firoz to frame him. https://t.co/17nZxYOrql
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) September 6, 2025
After Ashwini Kumar’s arrest, the tone of the online conversation shifted sharply. Activist @ShabnamHashmi posted, “Ashwini Kumar 50 Year Old Astrologer from Noida has been arrested for sending these threats in the name of a Muslim. This is how Sangh sleeper cells are spreading hatred. Stop the Hate factory! Vote Out the Vote Chori Gang.” Journalist @indscribe (Shams Ur Rehman Alavi) observed that newspapers splashed the initial threat on front pages but buried the arrest details inside. “When the guy gets caught, the same newspapers don't publish his photo, relegate it to page 14 or reduce it to a single column… Interest gone after ‘name’ found,” he wrote.
Ashwini Kumar 50 Year Old Astrologer from Noida has been arrested for sending these threats in the name of a Muslim. This is how Sangh sleeper cells are spreading hatred
— Shabnam Hashmi (@ShabnamHashmi) September 6, 2025
Stop the Hate factory !
Vote Out the Vote Chori Gang pic.twitter.com/IzpLjWVJgu
Other users highlighted systemic and political angles. @shfique13 argued that there are now “two laws” in the country—one protecting those aligned with the government and another used to suppress truth-tellers. @SoodRajive claimed the episode was staged, alleging Kumar had been paid to frame a minority and calling it “a staged toolkit drama.” User @hussain2577 wrote sarcastically, “Such an innocent n bright person. Plzz grant him bail, Garland him, Give him BJP membership form.” Another account, @Sangliyana, remarked, “Risking his life just to frame a Muslim boy. This is what 11 years corrupting mind.” Finally, @rsbisht__ argued that Kumar’s only aim was to trap Firoz, linking it to what he described as rising hatred against Muslims in Uttar Pradesh under the Modi and Yogi administrations.
