School girl burnt alive by stalker in Jharkhand's Dumka; dies
Ranchi: A 19-year-old class 12 student was burnt alive by her alleged stalker in Jharkhand's Dumka while she was sleeping in her house. The girl died on Sunday.
According to media reports, on August 23, the victim told her father that a young man named Shakrukh Hussain had been harassing her, and went to sleep.
The girl's father assured her that he would talk to the man's family on Tuesday.
However, a few hours later she woke up to a sharp pain in her back and a burning smell. She saw Shakrukh running away.
Her body ablaze, she ran to her parents, who managed to douse the flames. But her entire body was burnt except her face.
Her parents immediately rushed her to the hospital where she succumbed on August 28 after battling for life for five days.
The teen has named Shakrukh Hussain in her dying statement to a magistrate.
Media reports said that Shahrukh called her mobile around 10 days back, pestering her to be his friend, and attacked her when she resisted his overtures.
He called her again on Monday around 8 pm threatening to kill her if she did not talk to her.
She also named another person, Chhotu Khan, who the police are interrogating in custody.
Shahrukh Hussain has been arrested by police in connection with the case. Videos showed he did not display remorse and was seen smirking as he was arrested by the police.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been slammed by BJP for failing to ensure women's safety, alleging that the crime rate against women has shot up in the state after he became the Chief Minister.
After the incident took a political turn, Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced that a top cop (at the level of Additional Director General of Police) will supervise the case. He also announced Rs 10 lakh as monetary compensation for the family of the victim.
"Such people should not be forgiven, they should be given the strictest of punishments. Laws should be brought in to further strengthen the existing laws for such incidents. A lot of evil acts are being seen in society. This incident is heart-wrenching, and the law is taking its course. The accused has been arrested. It is our effort to see that he is punished at the earliest," he was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Dumka Superintendent of Police Ambar Lakda said the police will apply at fast track court for a fast trial.
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has claimed that incidents of love jihad are on the rise in tribal communities. He claimed that Bangladeshis are entering and marrying innocent tribal girls and usurping their land, the report said.
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