Girl set on fire for refusing proposal dies in Jharkhand’s Dumka, Section 144 imposed
Jharkhand, Aug 29 : A 19-year-old girl, who was set on fire for turning down a man’s proposal, has succumbed to her injuries in Jharkhand’s Dumka. The district administration has imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) which prohibits the gathering of four or more people in the concerned area, in a bid to maintain law and order amid widespread protests seeking justice for the deceased.
The mortal remains of the teenager have been taken for last rites amid heavy security. BJP MP Sunil Soren is likely to attend the last rites.
The incident took place in Dumka town on Tuesday when the accused, identified as Shahrukh, poured petrol on the woman from outside the window of her room when she was asleep and set her on fire, police said.
The victim, a student of Class 12, had been first admitted to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in Dumka in critical condition with 90% burns.
Later, she was referred to Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) for better treatment, police said.
Girl set on fire for refusing proposal dies in Jharkhand’s Dumka, Section 144 imposed
“The woman succumbed to burn injuries during treatment at RIMS, Ranchi, around 2.30 am on Sunday,” Dumka town police station in-charge Nitish Kumar said. The accused has already been arrested, he said.
According to the statement given to an executive magistrate, the victim had said the accused called her on her mobile around 10 days ago pestering her to become his friend.
“He called me again around 8 pm on Monday and told me that he would kill me if I did not talk to him. I informed my father about the threat, after which he assured me that he would talk to the man’s family on Tuesday. After having our dinner, we went to sleep. I was sleeping in another room,” she said.
“On Tuesday morning, I experienced a sensation of pain in my back and could smell something burning. I found him running away when I opened my eyes. I started screaming in pain and went to my father’s room. My parents doused the fire and took me to the hospital,” the woman had spoken with great difficulty while the police recorded her statement.
Viswa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists staged a demonstration at Dudhani Chowk in Dumka town and submitted a memorandum to the sub-divisional police officer Vijay Kumar demanding justice for the 19-year-old.
“In a bid to maintain law and order, Section-144 CrPC has been imposed in Dumka sub-division. Rally, demonstration, and procession are not allowed without prior permission,” Sub-divisional officer (SDO) Maheswar Mahto said.
BJP MP Dr Nishikant Dubey took to Twitter and wrote, “We could not save the daughter of Dumka. The Chief Minister and his clan kept on partying. Now the game of harassing common people to jail is going on. The government which could not be serious about the heinous crime will never be taken seriously.”
-The India Today
