Telangana: Khammam girl who was set ablaze dies

Ch Sushil Rao / TNN / Updated: Oct 17, 2020, 06:27 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

After 28-day battle for life, a 13-year-old girl from Khammam, who was set ablaze allegedly by a married man for resisting his rape bid, succumbed at a hospital in the city on Thursday night. Police will alter the case and try him for murder now.

Telangana: Khammam girl who was set ablaze dies

Representative image

HYDERABAD: After 28-day battle for life, a 13-year-old girl from Khammam, who was set ablaze allegedly by a married man for resisting his rape bid, succumbed at a hospital in the city on Thursday night. Police will alter the case and try him for murder now.
Several organisations in Khammam demanded that the victim’s family be given compensation of Rs 25 lakh, three acre land, a double-bedroom house and a government job for her father.

They also demanded that the case be tried in a fast-track court and punishment meted out to the guilty. They took objection to transport minister Puvvada Ajay handing over an ex gratia of only Rs 2 lakh to the girl’s family.
The girl from Pallegudem was working as a domestic help at the house of a family in Khammam town when Maraiah, 28, one of the family members, made sexual advances towards her. She used to address him as ‘anna’ (elder brother), as she described him when a statement was recorded when she admitted in the hospital.
Maraiah’s wife had gone to her parent’s house after delivery when he allegedly made sexual advances towards the minor. When she refused to give in, he set her ablaze at his house at Mustafanagar.Police arrested the youth and sent him in judicial remand after registering a case against him for rape, attempt to murder and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

Khammam police commissioner Tafseer Iqubal told TOI that as the victim died, the accused would be tried for murder under Section 302 of the IPC.
Though the incident took place on September 18, it came to light only on October 5. The family of the accused admitted her to a private hospital, where she was being treated. With information getting leaked about the secret treatment and attempts being made to hush up the crime, police shifted the girl to the government hospital at Khammam. Later, she was shifted to a corporate hospital for better treatment.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)

About the Author

Ch Sushil Rao

Sushil Rao is Editor-Special Reports, at The Times of India, Hyderabad. He began his journalism career at the age of 20 in 1988. He is a gold medalist in journalism from the Department of Communication and Journalism, Arts College, Osmania University, Hyderabad from where he did his post-graduation from. He has been with The Times of India’s Hyderabad edition since its launch in 2000. He has also done an introductory course in film studies from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, and also from the Central University of Kerala equipping himself with the knowledge of filmmaking for film criticism. He has authored four books. In his career spanning 34 years, he has worked for five newspapers and has also done television reporting. He was also a web journalist during internet’s infancy in the mid 1990s in India. He covers defence, politics, diaspora, innovation, administration, the film industry, Hyderabad city and Telangana state, and human interest stories. He is also a podcaster, blogger, does video reporting and makes documentaries.

End of Article