Amit Chaudhary was admitted to hospital where doctors said he was out of danger.

"Amit, a second year student of B.Tech (Architecture) was living in a rented accommodation with a fourth year student Rishi. On Tuesday, the landlord visited them and asked for the rent for the past several months. However, Amit told the landlord that he had been giving the rent to Rishi on time and it was not his fault that Rishi was not depositing it," Inspector Vinay Gautam of Gomti Nagar police station said.

Irked by this, Rishi called his two classmates, Dharmendra and Nishant and started beating Amit.

"After thrashing Amit, Rishi poured petrol in a glass from his motorcycle and threw it on Amit's face. The trio also tried to set him on fire but only his shirt caught fire. Amit managed to escape and, hearing his cries, neighbours doused the fire and rushed him to hospital," Gautam said. An FIR (first information report) has been lodged against Rishi, Dharmendra and Nishant. "All of them are absconding and we are trying to nab them," the police officer said.