MUMBAI: A 17-year-old girl has been battling for life with 60 per cent burns after a man allegedly set her ablaze in Mumbai's Andheri area, police said on Tuesday.
The girl and the 30-year-old accused, both residents of Marol in Andheri, were friends for the last couple of months.
The victim's mother recently asked the accused not to meet her daughter, the police said, adding the exact motive behind the crime was yet to be ascertained.
According to the police, the incident took place at around 11. 30 pm on Sunday behind a hospital in the Marol Gaonthan area here, while the victim was sitting in a chawl (row tenement) with her female friends after having dinner, the accused, Jitendra alias Jitu Tambe, allegedly poured petrol on her and set her afire. The accused also suffered burn injuries, an official said.
The girl suffered serious injuries on her face, neck, stomach, private parts, hands and legs. The victim, who is critical and unable to speak, is undergoing treatment at a civic-run Dr R N Cooper Hospital here, the official said.
A boy, who knew the girl, had informed her mother about the incident.The girl's mother then rushed to the spot and found her daughter with several burn injuries.
As per the FIR, the girl, on seeing her mother, the girl said, "I am not at fault. Jitu poured petrol on my body and set me on fire. She has also said that they were not in a relationship."
Based on the complaint from the victim's mother, a case was registered against the accused under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by using acid, etc, and a probe was underway, they added.