Indore, July 01: Four school children had a narrow escape when an Army Major, reportedly angry over non-payment of dues payable to his wife working in a sister concern of the school, allegedly set on fire a private school bus this morning in Mhow cantonment area near here. While the school children and bus conductor managed to escape unhurt, the bus driver received 35-40 per cent burns when the bus of the imperial academy which had gone to Mhow to bring the students, was set on fire by the army officer by sprinkling petrol on the bus, Indore SP Madhukumar Babu said.
The officer, identified as Major Mithilesh Chandra Jha, serving in the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE) allegedly stopped the bus and set it on fire, Babu said, adding the officer has not been arrested yet.
His wife, Ela who served in the school's sister concern 'Auckland Academy' for nearly 28 days in April, had been demanding payment of her dues after she quit the job, school president Bhupinder Singh Luthra told reporters here.
The major yesterday made some threatening calls to the school over the issue and said some untoward incident may take place by tomorrow if the school did not clear her dues, Luthra alleged, adding the school management requested him to come down and see papers pertaining to her appointment conditions which requires 30-days notice for leaving the job.
After the major allegedly abused the school staff, Luthra contacted MCTE commandant for an appointment to discuss the issue.
Bureau Report