A minor girl in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district was set on fire on 9 February, Friday, after she allegedly resisted rape, news agency ANI reported.
The 13-year-old Dalit girl from Sustani village of Madhya Pradesh told ANI, “ he threw kerosene on me and then lit fire.”
The police informed ANI that a complaint has been registered with Rajgarh Police, and a three-member team has been formed to nab the culprit.
ANI added that in the horrifying incident that took place on Friday, the accused tried to rape the minor after he found out that she was alone at home. The survivor resisted and cried out in protest, which resulted in the rapist trying to silence her by pouring kerosene and setting her on fire. Thereafter, the culprit fled from the spot.
The report added that the survivor was admitted in the district hospital on Saturday night, where the doctors said that 50 percent of her body sustained burn injuries.
After a primary treatment, she was referred to Bhopal.
In December, a similar incident of a gangrape was reported from Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar. The young survivor was also set on fire.
These incidents in the central state are being reported despite the Madhya Pradesh Assembly passing a bill that awards death penalty to those found guilty of raping girls aged 12 and below.
Rape incidents and crimes against minors have seen a sharp increase in the central state, including instances being reported from the capital Bhopal. On 8 November, a gangrape of a 12-year-old by four men was reported in Bhopal, after which the minor was left pregnant.
A National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report released on 30 November 2017 shows that Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of rapes in 2016. Of all the rape incidents in the country, 12.5 percent (4,882 cases) were reported from Madhya Pradesh.
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