Girl set ablaze in Jharkhand’s Dumka for spurning marriage proposal

Dumka: The Jharkhand Police on Friday arrested a person for setting ablaze a girl after she refused to marry him.

The girl has been referred to a Ranchi hospital. According to the police, the accused, Rajesh Raut, was known to the 19-year-old girl and was already married.

“So far, it has been revealed that the girl was attacked while she was asleep by a man known to her. She has been referred to Ranchi. The accused is already married and wanted to marry the victim. The parents (of the girl) were not ready for the marriage,” said Shivender, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jarmundi.

DSP Shivender also said that the accused was seen running from the crime spot after committing the offence on Thursday night.

Reacting to the incident, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Pratul Shadeo on Friday took a strong jibe and said there is a “total collapse of law and order machinery in Jharkhand”.

He connected the case with that of a class 12 girl, Ankita, who was also burnt alive while sleeping for turning down a proposal in Dumka.

Ankita was set ablaze on August 23 and succumbed to her injuries on August 28 during her treatment at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS).

The BJP leader said, “Fear of law has totally gone away from the miscreants and the people with the dubious mind. It is yet another incident when another daughter has been burnt alive just because she refused the marriage. Where is the fear of the law?

He said that the incident is “very very shocking”.

“We believe that the government is totally indulged in corruption and the law and order is not its priority in a state where within 34 months, more than 5,000 rape cases have taken place and there is only 1 per cent which has been convicted,” he said adding that these things are going to happen.

“The girl has 90 per cent burns over her body and should be immediately airlifted and the Chief Minister should come heavily on the District officials.

He further alleged that the government is not focussing on law and order in the state.

Shadeo further added that the accused was also threatening the girl saying “I will burn you alive like Ankita”.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Vijay Hansda while assuring a thorough investigation into the matter said that there are some incidents and people who are of “criminal tendency” and the police administration will leave no stone unturned in the matter.

“In previous incidents as well, the way the administration has worked effectively at the places wherever such incidents are taking place,” JMM MP Hansda said.

He further condemned the incident by stating that there is a need for social consciousness against people with “such ideologies so that they step back.”

“If a wrong incident takes place, it should be strongly condemned. However, I don’t want to go to petty politics by bringing out the stats,” he said.

Meanwhile, JMM MLA Sudivya Kumar said that he has “just been” informed about the incident and will provide every possible assistance to the victim.

Congress’ spokesperson Rakesh Sinha on Friday also reacted on the matter and said that incident is completely condemnable and such incidents require the culprit to be punished by both the law and society and they should be boycotted with their families so that an environment of concern and fear in people’s mind develops.

“It is thought-provoking where the society is heading as they are setting ablaze people over every next issue. Such culprits should be hanged and society should also come forward to punish them,” Rakesh Sinha said.

Talking politically, Sinha further said, “It is a matter of fun if BJP comments over the law and order situation of another party.”

‘Instead of politicising such incidents, I believe even the BJP should think how to combat such incidents of heinous crimes,” he said.