Chhattisgarh: 14 year teenager dies after being set on fire for resisting rape advances

Mungeli: A heartbreaking incident took place in Chhattisgarh’s Mungeli district on June 30, when a 14-year-old girl died after being allegedly set on fire by a man as she resisted his rape advances, police said on Thursday.

The incident in a village under Mungeli Kotwali police station limits.

The victim was rushed to the hospital with 80% burns and revealed the identity of her attacker to the police before succumbing to her injuries 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.

As per the information, Bablu barged into the girl’s house on Tuesday night, finding her all alone, he strove to sexually abuse her. Angered at her resistance and fearing she would report him to the authorities, he doused her in kerosene and set her ablaze.

The victim was later ran out of the house screaming for help with her skin seared from the blaze, somehow the neighbors were able to dout the flames and immediately rushed her to a hospital, but medical staff couldn’t save her from the third-degree burns despite their best efforts.

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.