10-yr-old set ablaze after ‘rape attempt’

JHARKHAND

TWO UNIDENTIFIED men set on fire a 10-year-old girl and allegedly pushed her into a well under Kandra police station limits in Seraikela-kharsawan after she resisted an alleged rape attempt, police said. The girl has been admitted to Tata Main Hospital’s burns ward in Jamshedpur with 60 per cent burn injuries and the police have recorded her statement.

The police have detained seven people for questioning and have lodged an FIR under relevant IPC sections and POCSO Act against the two unidentified men. The police, however, said there were domestic issues involved and preliminary probe is yet to confirm the allegations.

The girl, daughter of a daily wager from Bankura in West Bengal, had been living in a rented accommodation in Kandra area since the last two years with her siblings. As per the statement of the victim and her mother, the girl was allegedly accosted by the duo around 7 am on Wednesday when she left the house. They took her to a crusher unit adjacent to the house, allegedly stripped her and tried to rape her, police said. When the girl resisted, the suspects set her afire after pouring kerosene on her and pushed her into a driedup well before escaping.

The girl’s cries alerted locals, who pulled her out of the well. The girl was rushed to TMH after the police were informed.

The police have found a jerry can, match sticks and some burnt clothes of the girl, who studies in Class IV in a school nearby. “The girl has said that she could identify the men, but did not know them by name. We have detained seven suspects. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the couple (the girl’s parents) had marital discord. The woman also had two other children who lived with the parents, but they are missing. Detailed investigations are required,” said an official.

Sub-divisional Police Officer (Seraikela) Sumeet Kumar said: “Nobody seems to have seen the incident, even though it was daylight and the place is not secluded. The husband and wife had earlier fought violently, leading to a complaint at the police station. We are investigating.”