Bhagalpur woman raped and burnt by kin, dies

BHAGALPUR: A 22-year old woman, who was raped by a relative in her own house, died of burn injuries in Bhagalpur on Thursday. Police said the accused, a close relative of her brother-in-law, had tried to burn her alive after she threatened to inform her parents and police about her ordeal.
The victim, a resident of Shivnarayanpur village in Kahalgaon, succumbed to her injuries at the emergency ward of Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital.The Kahalgaon police arrested the accused, Pappu Sahni, on the basis of her statement.
Police sources said the girl had gone to her elder sister’s house at Mohanpur Goghatta in Budhuchak on Tuesday to attend a marriage. While returning from the wedding, the accused followed her back to her village where he raped her on Wednesday when the girl’s parents were away.
He then set her on fire when she threatened to tell her parents and lodge a police case.
Hearing her screams, neighbours gathered and saw smoke coming out of the house. The villagers caught hold of Pappu and thrashed him before handing him to the police. The victim, who had by then received severe burn injuries, was first taken to Kahalgaon sub-divisional hospital and later shifted to JLNMCH.
Bhagalpur SSP Ashish Bharti said a case under Sections 376/307 under IPC was registered against the accused on Wednesday and instructions given to modify the charges in view of the victim’s death.
“The investigating officer has been directed to expedite submission of chargesheet,” Bharti said, adding that compensation as per statutory provisions would be provided to the kin of the deceased.