Following the death of a woman in Jharkhand after being allegedly set on fire by a man who had proposed to her, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to the state police chief asking him to ensure a fair investigation in the case.
The accused man allegedly set the woman, a class 12th student, on fire in Jharkhand's Dumka district on August 23 for rejecting his proposal. He poured petrol on her through the window of her room when she was sleeping and then he set her on fire. The man, identified as Shahrukh, has been arrested.
The NCW has also sought an action taken report from the police within a week.
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The woman was first admitted to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in Dumka in critical condition with 90 per cent burns. Later she was referred to Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) for better treatment. She died at RIMS in the early hours on Sunday.
"The National Commission for Women has come across media reports wherein a woman was set on fire in Jharkhand's Dumka after she rejected the accused's proposal...The Commission is anguished with the reported crime and has taken cognisance of the matter. Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to Director General of Police, Jharkhand to look into the matter and to ensure that a fair investigation is accomplished (conducted) in a time-bound manner," said NCW in a statement.
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A copy of the letter has also been sent to the Superintendent of Police of Dumka. Action taken must be communicated to NCW within seven days, it said.
Before her death, the woman gave a statement to an executive magistrate and said that the accused called her on her mobile around 10 days back pestering her to become his friend.
PTI reported her as having said: "He called me again around 8 pm on Monday and told me that he would kill me if I did not talk to him. I informed my father about the threat after which he assured me that he would talk to the man’s family on Tuesday. After having our dinner, we went to sleep. I was sleeping in another room.
"On Tuesday morning, I experienced a sensation of pain on my back and could smell something burning. I found him running away when I opened my eyes. I started screaming in pain and went to my father’s room. My parents doused the fire and took me to the hospital."
A second person has also been taken into custody for allegedly supplying petrol to Shahrukh, according to a report.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has announced Rs 10 lakh in compensation to the family and has also directed the case to be processed in a fast track court.
"Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren expressed grief over the death of a class 12th girl in Dumka. CM has ordered the Dumka administration to provide an assistance of Rs 10 lakhs to the kin of the deceased and directed the proceedings to be done from the fast track court," ANI reported Jharkhand's Chief Minister's Office (CMO) as having said.
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The Dumka administration has imposed prohibitory orders after activists protested the woman's death. Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal activists staged a demonstration and submitted a memorandum demanding justice for the woman.
“In a bid to maintain law and order, Section-144 CrPC has been imposed in Dumka sub-division. The gathering of five and more people in one place is prohibited. Rally, demonstration, and procession are not allowed without prior permission,” Sub-divisional officer (SDO) Maheswar Mahto said.
The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also lashed out at the state government over the incident. The party accused the state government of not ensuring proper treatment for the victim.
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"A woman was burnt to death but the chief minister is maintaining silence. Isn’t it a politics of appeasement? We have seen Nadeem (Ansari), an accused in the Ranchi violence, was sent to Delhi in an air ambulance for better treatment at the government cost, while the 19-year-old woman with burn injuries was not looked after properly," said BJP leader and former Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das.
(With PTI inputs)
