Purnea, May 28: A teacher, honoured by the President for his contribution to the profession, has been made an accused for abetment of suicide of a colleague at a village school in the district.

On Monday, Ranjit Kumar, 35, a teacher of Uphrail Middle School immolated himself in the toilet of the educational institution under the jurisdiction of Maranga police station, around 350km northeast of Patna.

His colleagues rushed him to Sadar hospital. He was referred to Katihar Medical College and Hospital, where he died on Monday evening.

Before his death, Ranjit, who has been working as the school as a contract teacher since 2008, told the police that he had been forced to take the fatal step because of constant insults relating to his caste by principal Sanjay Singh.

Superintendent of police Kim said: “Ranjit said he immolated himself. He also said the principal of Uphrail Middle School Sanjay Singh used to abuse him about his caste.”

Singh, who was honoured by the President on Teachers’ Day in 2007, on Monday, told The Telegraph over phone: “I have learnt about the incident from my colleagues. But I am on leave now in Deoghar, Jharkhand.”

On Tuesday, his phone was switched off.

Ranjit’s wife Priyanka Prerna said her husband had not committed suicide but had been murdered.