A 19-year-old woman who was allegedly set on fire by a man on Dasara, October 12, in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa passed away in Indore, police said on Friday. The girl had filed a molestation complaint against the accused’s father.
According to the police, after the initial treatment in Khandwa, the girl had been referred to Indore’s Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries late night on October 17. The accused, it added, wanted to take revenge from the woman for “his father’s insult”.
Khandwa Superintendent of Police, Manoj Rai told The Hindu that the victim had on October 7 gave a molestation complaint against one Mangilal Balai, 48, based on which the local police arrested him the same day.
Mr. Rai said that the victim’s and accused’s are also distantly relative and are neighbours in Nalda village in Kotwali police station area. Both families hail from the Dalit community, he said.
In her complaint, the woman had accused Mangilal of stalking her and trying to force himself upon her when she was alone.
Mr. Mangilal was released on bail the next day after which on October 12, his son, Arjun Balai, 22, allegedly threw some inflammable liquid on the woman and set her on fire, Mr. Rai said, adding that the she suffered 27 percent burn injuries.
“Her condition seemed to be improving initially but she died late night yesterday. Her body is being brought to her village after a post-mortem in Indore,” he said.
Mr. Rai said that the girl had named Arjun in her dying declaration recorded when she was in the hospital in Khandwa after which a case of attempt to murder was filed against the accused and he was arrested the same day.
“He is currently in jail and after the woman’s death, we have also added murder charges,” he said, adding that the police is also working to include Mangilal in the case by adding charges of criminal conspiracy against him.
Kotwali police station in-charge Ashok Singh Chouhan said that while the victim only named Mr. Arjun in her statements, local have indicated at the indicated the involvement of Mr. Mangilal in the act.
“The accused’s family had tried to pressurise the woman’s family into settling the matter but they did not agree,” he said, adding that Mangilal has also been bound down by the police.
He said that the woman’s father is a truck driver while Mr. Mangilal is a labourer.
After the woman’s death, the Congress targeted the BJP government and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and termed it a “sarkari murder (murder by the government)“. “This is not normal, it is ‘murder by government’! Your police neither took action in time, nor provided security to the victim! That is why the accused dared! After the complaint, the victim was burnt by pouring petrol on her!” Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari said in an X post. “This is the height of jungle raj! Leave the post of Home Minister immediately!” Mr. Patwari demanded.
Published - October 18, 2024 04:24 pm IST
