12 Year Old Raped and Set Ablaze

NEW DELHI: A 12 year old was set on fire by a rapist when she threatened to expose him to her parents near Ludhiana in Sherpur village. The girl, in a critical condition, gave her final testimony in front of a magistrate and said that she was raped for eight days repeatedly and was intimidated with threats, against telling anyone about the incident.

Sunil, the main accused, set her on fire when the girl’s sister was playing outside and her parents had been away at a relative. The victim was first taken to Civil Hospital Ludhiana with 95 per cent burn on her body but when doctors there found her very critical they referred her to Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh. She succumbed before she could be taken there.

Speaking to the Indian Express, R S Cheema, ACP South, said, “The girl used to stay home. The accused had been teasing her for some time. She was repeatedly raped over the past 8-10 days but she did not reveal it to her parents. Yesterday, she decided to tell her parents about it but before that Sunil poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze.”

“The girl’s family alleged that proper treatment was not provided due to which she died but doctors had referred her to PGI. She died even before we could shift her,” he claimed.

The victim’s family spoke of negligence negligence by the Civil Hospital and protested on the road for hours with the young girls body. The accused, a vegetable seller, along with his father and two brothers has been arrested.