Girl set afire by youth for refusing to share her mobile number

VARANASI: A 16-year-old dalit girl was allegedly set afire by a youth in her house, in Fariha village of Azamgarh district, late on Monday evening for refusing to share her mobile number with him, police said.

Locals and police rushed the seriously injured girl to the district hospital from where doctors referred her to divisional hospital, Varanasi where she is undergoing treatment. Dr Prabhat Kumar of the divisional hospital said the girl suffered 80% burns in the attack.

Superintendent of police Ravi Shankar Chhavi said, “A heavy police force has been deployed in the village as a preventive measure. The cause of incident is being investigated.” He further said that the situation in the village was normal.

According to police, the kin of the girl alleged that the youth, identified as Mohammad Shafi of the same village, entered their house and asked the girl to give her mobile number to him. “When the girl refused, he got enraged and allegedly poured kerosene on her, and set her afire,” they added.

Engulfed in flames, the girl started screaming and ran out of the house. Soon locals came to her rescue and took her to hospital.

The girl’s mother alleged that she also saw Shafi running out of the house after her daughter but he tried to flee on seeing villagers outside.

However, he was caught and thrashed by villagers before they handed him over to the police.

A case was registered against the youth under relevant sections of the IPC. The police said the girl, in her statement, alleged that the youth also molested her.