The Bombay High Court has given major relief to an engineering student convicted by a lower court for causing grievous injury 12 years ago to a junior roommate of his hostel.

Justice V R Kingaonkar, while reducing the sentence of Pravin Tyagi, observed, “The alleged incident occurred in November 1996. The misdemeanor committed by the appellant did land him in jail for a considerable period of six months. In my opinion, after such a long period (12 years), the appellant need not be called upon to suffer the sentence of imprisonment.”

The case against Tyagi was that he had set a junior student of an engineering college in Latur on fire. Their row had started on November 26, 1996, when Tyagi tore the picture of a Hindu God Sharma had put up on the wall. Sharma did not talk to Tyagi after that, which annoyed Tyagi.

On November 28, 1996, Tyagi told Sharma to accompany him. Tyagi purchased a nylon rope and a bottle of petrol and they reached a village called Karosa where Tyagi took Sharma to a hillock. Fearing danger, Sharma did not go further. It was then that Tyagi poured petrol on Sharma and set him on fire, according to the prosecution.

Sharma had saved himself by jumping into a nearby pond. Police came to know of the incident from some villagers and the statement of Sharma was treated as the complaint. Tyagi was arrested and charged with attempt to murder.

The prosecution had examined six witnesses. Tyagi tried to defend himself saying, Sharma tried to commit suicide and he had stopped him.