Trigger warning: This article talks about rape and violence.
In yet another horrific case of violence, a 15-year-old Dalit rape survivor died in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr of burn injuries on Tuesday after being set ablaze.
PTI reported that the father of the minor girl has alleged that she was set on fire by an uncle and friends of the accused, who were pressuring her to withdraw the rape case.
The accused raped the woman three months ago and is in prison after being charged under POCSO
Senior Superintendent of Police, Santosh Kumar Singh was quoted by NDTV as saying, “The (rape) incident took place on August 15. The accused was arrested and he is still in jail. This morning, at 8 am, she came to the hospital with burn injuries. She was sent to Delhi for treatment where she died.”
The girl was brought to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital where she died on Tuesday evening.
ALSO READ: Hathras: Lawyers, Activists Explain How Blame Is Shifted To Victim’s Family In Caste Crimes
While the police had said that the girl had set herself on fire, the family has alleged that it was the family of the accused that set her on fire.
The police have said that seven people have been booked in the incident and three have been arrested.
The girl’s uncle told The Indian Express, “We were being threatened to withdraw the rape case and have a decision in the panchayat. Around 8.30 pm Monday, I received a call from an unknown number – they threatened and told the family to withdraw the case or face consequences. At 9.30 am Tuesday, when the girl’s parents were not at home, we were told that she was set on fire.”
The girl’s father, in his complaint, too has alleged that she was set ablaze when he and his wife were not at home.
The Hindu reported that the father saying in his complaint that the uncle and aunt of the accused and five others forced their way into their house and set her on fire. He said that the family of the accused had also threatened him.
This comes over a month after a 19-year-old Dalit woman died after men of the dominant caste brutally assaulted her. While the family of the woman has said that the men raped her as well, the police in Uttar Pradesh had denied it.
The incident in Hathras had caused massive outrage, with the Uttar Pradesh administration and government drawing severe criticism.