A class 12 student was found dead in her home on Saturday in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria, India after she set herself on fire as the son of her school principal allegedly tried to sexually assault her, police said on Sunday.

A case has been registered against six people, including the school principal, on the basis of a complaint by the girl’s grandmother, said Anil Kumar, the station house officer of Gauri Bazar.

‘Four people have been detained for questioning and a hunt is on to arrest six people, who are on the run. The prime accused is the son of the principal of a private school,’ Kumar said.

The main suspect had allegedly called the girl to the principal’s room and harassed her sexually. He is also accused of threatening the girl to keep quiet about what happened in the room, reports the Hindustan Times.

But a resident saw the act through a window and informed the girl’s brother, who went to the school and thrashed the suspect, police said. The accused allegedly retaliated later by barging into the girl’s house with his friends and thrashing her brother.

Police said the traumatised girl then locked herself in a room and set herself on fire.

The death triggered tension as people gathered at the police station and demanded immediate arrest of the suspect.