Amaravati, Oct 19 : In a shocking incident, a girl was set on fire by her former boyfriend in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district on Saturday after a suspected spat, police said.

The victim, a Class 11 student, was battling for life while the police launched a hunt for the accused.

The incident occurred near Badvel town of Kadapa district. Accused Vignesh and the victim had been friends since childhood.

According to police, the accused had recently married another girl but wanted to maintain a relationship with her too. On Saturday, he called her and wanted to meet her. He told her that if she did not meet him, he would end his life. The victim agreed to meet and boarded an autorickshaw from her college. After she travelled some distance, Vignesh also joined her.

They reached a place near Century Plywood factory, about 10 km from Budvel. It was not known what transpired between the two but after some time the accused poured petrol on her and set her afire.

Hearing her cries, farmers working in the nearby fields rushed to her rescue and doused the fire while the accused fled from there. The locals informed the police, who admitted the victim to a hospital in Badvel. Later, she was shifted to Kadapa and admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (RIMS).

The victim suffered 80 per cent burn injuries and was battling for her life. The district judge recorded her statement at RIMS.

Kadapa Superintendent of Police Harshvardhan said four teams have been constituted to nab the accused. He said preliminary investigations revealed that both the girl and youth were residents of the same area in Badvel town and had known each other since childhood.

Meanwhile, taking serious note of the incident, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed police officials to immediately arrest the accused. He spoke to officials over the phone and enquired about the girl's condition. He asked them to ensure the best possible treatment for the victim.

/IANS