RANCHI: In yet another horrific incident, a 19-year-old girl Maruti Kumari was set on fire by a married man for refusing to marry him late in the night on Thursday. According to police, the accused, Rajesh Raut a local man who had known the girl for the past three years, barged into the house and set her on fire allegedly by pouring petrol on her.
The accused has been arrested. Notably, in a similar incident on August 23, a 16-year-old girl Ankita was also set on fire by Shahrukh living in her neighbourhood, after pouring petrol on her from the window while she was sleeping at her home allegedly for denying friendship with him under town police station in Dumka.
The incident took place on late in the night on Thursday at Bhalki village under Jarmundi police station, following which she was taken to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in Dumka, but was referred to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi for better treatment. Condition of the girl is said to be
critical.
According to the victim, even after getting himself married, the accused was threatening her not to get married or he will kill her, saying that he will also marry her and if she did not agree to it, he will set her on fire.
“He threatened me two days back that he will also set me on fire like Ankita, who was set ablaze by Shahrukh by pouring petrol on her. He also used to say that he will never let me get married,” said Maruti, who has been struggling for life in hospital. When she and her family members were not deterred by his
threats and continued searching a suitable match for Maruti, Rajesh barged into the house and set her on fire on Thursday night, she added.
“The man was known to the girl since 2019 and he wanted to marry her but the girl and her family members were not ready for it. Meanwhile, the man got married in February 2022, but still he wanted to marry the girl. Two days back, the man threatened the girl that she will also meet the same fate as Ankita,” said Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Shivendra Kumar. When the girl was sleeping with her grandmother on Thursday night, the man barged into the house and set her on fire, he added.
According to the SDPO, Maruti’s grandmother has also sustained minor burn injuries. SDPO further added that when the girl opened her eyes after she experienced intense heat on her body, she saw Rajesh running away and raised an alarm following which she was taken to the hospital by the family members.
Family members demanded best medical facilities for the girl and strict action against the culprit so that no incident should take place in future. “I demand death sentence for the culprit. I also demand the Chief Minister that Maruti should be airlifted to All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi so that the life of the girl could be saved,” said girl’s aunty Anita Devi.
The government should also take some strict measures so that such incidents does not get repeated again as it is second such incident within a few weeks, she added.