Barred from exam, medical student allegedly self-immolates

KARACHI: A Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) student in Karachi passed away in the wee hours of Tuesday after having allegedly immolated himself over his varsity administration’s refusal to let him take an exam because of his late arrival.

Abdul Basit, a final-year student at the Hamdard University, reached the exam centre late after his car broke down, his family said.

Disheartened, he doused himself with petrol and set himself on fire, police claimed.

He was rushed to the Civil Hospital with 95 percent burns, doctors said, but his injuries proved too severe.

The SHO of the area police station said that the incident took place around 1 and 2 PM on Monday.

“According to the varsity admin officer, the student came to the college asking for vice chancellor Dr Nadeem. Dr Nadeem was in the OPD at that time. The admin officer said that he left for prayers after that,” said the police officer.

“After returning from prayers, the admin officer said he saw that the student set himself on fire and that the guards and others were trying to put out the flames by throwing sand on him. They later took the injured student to the hospital,” he said.

Basit's mother, however, claimed that her son was killed and that he did not commit suicide. "He wanted to be a doctor. He was an educated child. He could not commit suicide. He was killed," she said.

“I have lived with my brother for 28 years. I know him. He couldn't commit suicide,” said Basit's older brother Majid.

Teachers however claim that Basit had flunked the annual exam seven times in a row.

Sindh Governor Ishrat ul Ebad took notice of the incident and demanded a report of the incident from the vice chancellor of the private university.

Police have started their investigation into the incident.