The accused is on the lam.
By Dileep Thekkethil
A 12-year-old girl succumbed to 95% burns after she was set ablaze by a teenager who raped her for eight continuous days, before taking her life fearing she might tell the ordeal to her parents. The incident happened in the Sherpur area of Punjab.
According to reports, Sunil, a 19-year old, poured kerosene on the girl at her residence in Sherpur, and set her on fire after she threatened to tell her parents of her sexual assault ordeal. Even though people took her immediately to the Ludhiana Civil Hospital nearby, the girl had suffered more than 95% burns, and doctors failed to revive her.
The final words of the girl before a magistrate was to name Sunil as the perpetrator, who allegedly threatened to kill her if she revealed her rape to her parents.
RS Cheema, Assistant commissioner of police (ACP) south, was quoted by The Indian Express saying, “The girl used to stay at home and the accused was teasing her for days. She was being repeatedly raped since 8-10 days and she did not reveal it to her parents. Yesterday, she decided to tell to her parents but before that Sunil poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze.”
The police also confirmed that the gynecologist who performed the check-up of the girl before death has certified that she was brutally raped.
When the girl’s condition worsened, the doctors suggest to move her from the Civil Hospital to PGIMER Chandigarh for better treatment but, unfortunately, she couldn’t make it to the hospital as she died on the way.
The accused has been missing since the time he set the girl and the people of the Sherpur area staged a protest by blocking traffic.
According to police, they have filed an FIR against the father and two brothers of the accused under section 120-B (conspiracy) of IPC. His father Harish and two brothers, Anil and Laxman (aged 19 and 22), have now been arrested.