VIJAYAPURA: A 14-year-old girl committed set herself on fire on Friday evening, as she was allegedly being harassed by two men who would follow her home on her way from school, making indecent proposals in the middle of the road. The girl is believed to have taken the extreme step after bringing the matter to the notice of her parents who had promised to raise the issue with the village leaders.
The incident occurred at Rathnapura village in Vijayapura. The girl, a minor, committed suicide when her parents had gone to work in the fields in the evening hours of November 30. According to the police, the girl, a student of 8th grade, was being chased and harassed by two men, identified as Mohan Edave, 19 and Shankar H, 24. Shankar, who is married, would stalk her when she was returning from school.
After narrating the incident to her parents, they resolved to bring up the matter in front of the village chiefs. However, as soon as they left for work, the girl set herself on fire. The shocked parents returned and saw their daughter completely burnt. They rushed her to the hospital but she died enroute. The mother of the victim accused the duo of killing her daughter in her complaint filed with the police. Both men have been taken into custody and police are investigating.