Rejection is something that is not being taken well by many. One such incident happened in Kerala where a 26-year-old man set a 21-year-old girl on fire for rejecting his proposal. Adarsh Suneendran was yearning for a relationship and proposed to Reshmi but she rejected it. Reshmi’s father even filed a police complaint regarding the incident. A dying Adarsh told Dr. R.P. Renjin, RMO of General Medical College Hospital (GMC), Kottayam, “He told us that he hugged her while she tried to run away and lit the fire. He also said they were earlier in a relationship and later she betrayed him.”

Rewinding to the tragic incident, Adarsh, a native of Kollam district was an Alumni of Kottayam School of Medical Education (SME) College, where he was a Physiotherapy student. Reshmi, a native of Alapuzha, was a final year student in that same college. He went into Reshmi’s classroom with a bag containing petrol in his hand but nothing was suspicious for the students who were present. He then said ‘Hello Reshmi’ and doused her and himself with petrol. Even then the classmates didn’t understand what was happening around until Reshmi started running.

She ran into the library, doused in petrol and he followed her. One of the students there who witnessed the mishap told the police, “She came running and then he came and hugged her. Suddenly, there was fire.” Reshmi ran out – her body on fire, but she lost her way and fell down on the corridor. Nearby students who tried to save her were affected with minor burn injuries and many poured water on her. Reshmi’s classmate Ashwin told the media, “We all brought water from toilets and sprayed it on her, but by the time, it was too late, as half of her body was burnt.”

Adarsh, on the other hand, collapsed in the library. Both were rushed to GMC but they already succumbed to 80% of injuries. Adarsh died first followed by Reshmi.