Jharkhand: 19-Year-Old Schoolgirl Succumbs To Burn Wounds After Stalker Set Her On Fire

A 19-year-old teenager who was allegedly set on fire on August 23 by a person in Jharkhand's Dumka district after she rejected his proposal succumbed to her burn wounds in the early hours of Sunday (August 28).

The suspect, Shahrukh, was detained after it was claimed that he doused the woman in gasoline and set her ablaze while she slept beside the window of her room.

The class 12 student was initially brought into Dumka's Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in a serious condition with 90 per cent burns. She was later directed to Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) for better care.

As per Nitish Kumar, in charge of the Dumka Town Police Station, "The woman succumbed to burn injuries during treatment at RIMS, Ranchi, around 2.30 am on Sunday. Her body will be brought to Dumka after the post-mortem examination," quoted NDTV.

Woman's Official Statement To Police

In her statement to an executive magistrate, the woman claimed that the accused had called on her mobile phone about ten days prior, pleading with her to become his friend.

The woman had difficulty speaking while the police wrote down her statement; she stated, "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," quoted The New Indian Express.

However, on Tuesday morning, the girl experienced a sensation of pain in her back and could smell something burning. She found him running away when she opened her eyes. The teenager started screaming in pain and went to her father's room, where her parents doused the fire and rushed her to the hospital.

Section 144 Imposed In Dumka

The Dumka subdivision was subject to Section-144 due to the disturbance caused by the incident. It has become forbidden to assemble groups of five or more people in one location. Rallies, protests, and processions are prohibited without prior authorization, according to the police.

The accused Shahrukh has been taken into custody, according to Dumka SP Ambar Lakda, who said that for a quick trial, they would request a fast-track court. Further, he said that they'd urged everyone to keep the peace and section 144 has been put in place, and the situation is under control.

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