Girl in Chhattisgarh dies after being set afire for resisting rape attempt

Chhattisgarh Police arrested the 30-year-old accused Bablu Bhaskar on July 1

Mungeli: A 14-year-old girl died after she was allegedly set on fire by a man for resisting his rape attempt in Chhattisgarh's Mungeli district, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place on June 30 in a village under Mungeli Kotwali Police Station limits.

The victim succumbed to her burn injuries during treatment at a hospital on Wednesday, Mungeli Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Tejram Patel said.

The accused, identified as Bablu Bhaskar (30), was arrested on Wednesday night, he said.

Bhaskar barged into the girl's house on Tuesday night after finding her alone and allegedly attempted to rape her.

When she resisted, he allegedly set her ablaze after pouring kerosene on her, Patel said. The girl, engulfed in flames, ran out of the house screaming for help.

Her neighbours somehow doused the flames and rushed her to the district hospital where she succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday, the official said.

The accused was arrested and a case was registered against him under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said.

An investigation was underway in the case, he added.