Ritesh techie
35-year-old Ritesh KumarTwitter

In a tragic incident, a 35-year-old software engineer in Bengaluru died after he accidentally set himself on fire last Thursday, November 30, when he tried to threaten a tutorial owner. He succumbed the next day as he suffered 80 percent burns. 

According to Financial Express, Ritesh Kumar, a Patna native who worked in a private firm in Marathahalli, allegedly paid Rs 2.5 lakh to a private tutor Aditya Bajaj in JP Nagar who allegedly promised to get admissions to his two children, aged seven and three, in a prestigious school. However, Bajaj failed to secure the seats following which Ritesh demanded a refund.   

Kumar, a resident of Lal Bahadur Shastri Nagar in Kaggadaspura had sent his children to Bajaj's tutorial as it promised to get them seats in a prestigious school in the city.

Police said that Kumar may have attempted to threaten Bajaj that he would immolate if the latter did not return the money but accidentally set himself on fire. 

His wife Parul Mahensaria, in her complaint, stated that Bajaj gave back only Rs 1.25 lakh and kept asking more time to return the rest. However, after some days, he told Kumar, "I will not return your money even if you die," she added.

The police later confirmed that a total of Rs 2.5 lakh approximately was paid to Aditya Tutorials, to get Kumar's kids admitted to a posh school in Indiranagar.

"We've registered a case of abetment to suicide and cheating against Bajaj. I've asked JP Nagar police to find out if Aditya has cheated other parents too," deputy commissioner of police (south) SD Sharanappa was quoted as saying by Times of India.