Vicky Nagrale, a married man with a seven-month-old son, used to stalk the woman (Representational)

A 25-year-old woman, who works as a lecturer at a college in Maharashtra, was on Monday set on fire allegedly by a man who had been stalking for the past two years. The woman was going to her college in the morning today when the accused, Vicky Nagrare, used petrol from his motorcycle to set her ablaze, police said. She has suffered 40 per cent burn injuries and is critical.

The woman teachers was going to the college at 7.15 am and had alighted from a state transport bus in Hingnaghat town of the district when the accused accosted her. He fled after setting her on fire, police said. He was arrested later.

"Some passers-by poured water on the woman and rushed her to a nearby primary health centre from where she was shifted to Orange City Hospital in Nagpur. She has suffered 40 per cent burns," a police officer was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

The woman has suffered severe burn injuries to her scalp, face, right upper limb, left hand, upper back and neck, news agency PTI reported; adding she also has injuries in her respiratory system.

Nagrale, a married man with a seven-month-old son, used to stalk the woman, the police said.

"Nagrale, from Daroda village, is a married man and has a seven-month-old son. He works at a firm in Balharshah. He used to stalk the woman. He had even tried to commit suicide last year, though no complaint was lodged at that time," the official added.

With inputs from PTI