Differently teacher burned alive in tricycle explosion:Municipal-provided cycle catches fire after explosion, family seeks investigation into safety lapse

On Friday night, near Jai Stambh Chowk in Sarni, Betul district, the battery of a tricycle exploded. The blast caused a fire, in which a differently-abled teacher, Sunil Kumar Lokhande (Guddu), son of Baliram Lokhande, resident of Sarni, was burnt alive on the spot. Despite being differently-abled, Sunil earned a living by teaching tuition to children People rushed to extinguish the fire, but couldn’t save him According to eyewitnesses, the tricycle caught fire suddenly after the battery exploded. Nearby shopkeeper Billu Jagdev tried to put out the fire with water, but by then the flames had grown so intense that Sunil could not be saved. The fire also completely destroyed the tricycle. Disabled person supported himself by giving tuitions Local people informed the police about the incident. The police took possession of the body and sent it for post-mortem at Ghoradongri. The deceased’s brother, Rajesh, said that Sunil had studied engineering. He was the younger of two brothers. Sunil earned his living by teaching tuition to children. Disability came during BE studies Sunil was not differently-abled from childhood. His disability developed during his BE studies when the liquid in his joints started drying up, making it difficult for him to sit, stand, and walk. About 15 years ago, he became differently-abled. Sunil was unmarried. Tricycle was provided under Svanidhi scheme The tricycle involved in the incident had been provided by the municipality under the Swarnidhi scheme two-and-a-half years ago. It had never caused any problems before. The family is also unsure what suddenly went wrong that night. People have demanded a high-level investigation into the incident to determine the exact cause of the battery blast.