Ujjwal Rana, a 24-year-old second-year BA student at DAV PG Degree College in Budhana, Muzaffarnagar, died on Sunday after setting himself ablaze inside his college classroom.
The incident, which has shocked the community and the state, followed a dispute over unpaid examination fees amounting to Rs 7,000. Ujjwal had paid Rs 1,750 but was barred from submitting his exam form due to the balance.
Allegedly humiliated and assaulted by the college principal, Pradeep Kumar Singh, and three police officers who intervened, Ujjwal’s desperate act has sparked widespread protests and calls for justice.
The Budhana police, whose jurisdiction includes the college, initially registered a case of assault and criminal intimidation following a complaint filed by Ujjwal’s sister, Saloni, against the college principal. After the student’s death, the police added the charge of abetment to suicide to the case. The college principal, Pradeep Kumar Singh, has been booked along with the college’s physical training instructor Sanjeev Som. Additionally, three police personnel, have also been named in the case.
Harassment and Fee Dispute
Details have emerged unveiling the harsh treatment Ujjwal faced. He recorded a video accusing Principal Pradeep Kumar and the police of physically assaulting and publicly humiliating him. Ujjwal claimed he was pulled by his hair and beaten after he stood up for other students unable to pay fees.
The principal reportedly told him, “This college is not a dharamshala,” mocking his financial struggles. Despite Ujjwal owning a mobile phone worth Rs 25,000 and a motorcycle estimated at Rs 1 lakh, he argued these assets did not negate his hardship or his right to education; the principal questioned his eligibility for government scholarships instead of addressing the immediate issue.
After his protests and online videos, the principal allegedly called the police, who further intimidated and pushed Ujjwal out of the college premises. Feeling crushed and abandoned, he set himself on fire in an act of despair.
Incident and Immediate Aftermath
On the morning of November 8, Ujjwal doused himself in an inflammable liquid and ignited the fire inside a classroom. Fellow students rushed to extinguish the flames, but he suffered burns covering more than 75% of his body. He was taken first to the local Community Health Centre, then shifted to Meerut hospital, and finally to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi where he succumbed to his injuries the next day.
Eyewitnesses and family have condemned the college staff for their inaction during the critical moments following the incident. The police initially registered cases of assault and criminal intimidation, later upgrading the charges to include abetment to suicide following his death.
Local residents and students have held protests demanding a judicial inquiry and systemic change to prevent harassment of economically challenged students.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This heartrending tragedy underscores a larger crisis in our education system where financial vulnerability is met with indignity and abuse rather than support and understanding.
Educational institutions must become safe havens that nurture every student’s potential with dignity and empathy, not places that perpetuate fear and humiliation. Harassment and insensitive handling of fee issues are antithetical to the very spirit of education.
Only by fostering environments grounded in kindness, respect, and justice can such devastating outcomes be prevented.
He is No More. He ended his life because he not able to pay his college fee of Rs. 7,000.
— NCMIndia Council For Men Affairs (@NCMIndiaa) November 9, 2025
24 year old Ujjwal Rana was a student of BA Second year at DAV PG Degree College at Budhana in Muzaffarnagar district of UP. He set himself ablaze inside a classroom on Saturday morning… pic.twitter.com/nkrnXqVt3z
