Woman set on fire for resisting rape attempt

Hazaribag: A 23-year-old woman was doused with petrol and set on fire in her home in Hazaribag allegedly by four persons for resisting a rape attempt, police said on Monday.

The woman sustained 70 percent burns and is under treatment in a Ranchi hospital, Hazaribag superintendent of police Manoj Ratan Chothe told PTI.

In her statement to the police the woman said the incident took place on Saturday night in Charhi area of Hazaribagh, around 90 km from here, and three of her attackers are her relatives. The fourth person was a neighbour.

The woman suffered about 70% burn injuries and was rushed to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH). But as her condition was critical she was referred to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi, a doctor who attended to her at SBMCH said. “An FIR has been lodged based on the victim’s statement and we have launched a search operation,” Chothe said.

The woman told the police that her tormentors had visited the shop she ran and asked for a few chocolates and paid Rs 10. They then asked for a loan of Rs 100, which she refused. She also did not agree to their request to rent out a portion of her home to them.

“Thereafter, I closed the shop and returned home. The accused too entered my home from the backdoor, grabbed my hands and attempted to rape me. When I resisted, they tied my hands and legs to a cot and poured petrol on me and set it on fire,” she claimed in her video statement.

The four men fled when neighbours rushed to her aid on hearing her cries for help, she said. The neighbours called the police and helped to take her to hospital, her statement added.