Uttar Pradesh: 16-year-old ‘set on fire’ in Ballia, one held

Police have arrested the girl’s 22-year-old neighbour on the basis of a complaint lodged by her family.

The girl’s family has alleged that the accused climbed on the terrace of their house, poured kerosene oil on her when
she was asleep and then set her on fire. The family has alleged that girl had been facing harassment by the accused, police said.

The Circle Officer said that according to the girl’s father, the entire family was sleeping on the terrace of the house on Saturday night. Around 3 am, the girl’s father woke up on hearing his daughter scream and saw her engulfed in flames, said the Circle Officer.

The girl’s father has told police that he saw the accused fleeing to the adjoining house, the officer added.

The father has told police that in an attempt to douse the flames, he had suffered burn injuries in his left hand.

The girl’s father has told the police that on Saturday afternoon, the accused harassed the girl and threatened to ruin her life when she was returning home from market, the Circle Officer said.

The officer added that the girl’s family has alleged that accused harassed her whenever she stepped out of the house.

Police, however, said that they had not received any complaint from the girl’s family about the harassment earlier.

“The accused, who worked as a labourer in Delhi and had returned to the village after the lockdown, has been booked on attempt to murder charge and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. We are trying to collect information about the accused and the investigation is on,” said the Circle Officer.