Madhya Pradesh: Dalit girl set on fire for filing harassment complaint

A 19-year-old woman belonging to a Dalit community was allegedly set on fire by the son of a man who attempted to assault her. The incident took place in Madhya Pradesh’s village near Khandwa, days after the woman filed a police complaint against her harasser.

In her complaint, the Dalit girl alleged that her 48-year-old harasser- Mangilal – tried to force himself on her when she was alone in a field on October 7. Subsequently, Mangilal was arrested on the same day but was granted bail the following day.

After his release, the girl’s relatives reported that they received threats from Mangilal’s family members.

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According to the police report, Mangilal’s son Arjun went to the victim’s house, poured petrol on her and burnt her.

Despite her injuries, the Dalit girl managed to escape the scene. She was rushed to a local hospital where she was shifted to a facility in Indore. She suffered 27 percent burns and is in critical condition.

Arjun has been arrested and charged with an attempt to murder under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). Khandwa’s superintendent of police (SP) Manoj Kumar Rai said that an investigation has been initiated. The police is also considering including charges against Mangilal for criminal conspiracy as a result of his possible involvement in the incident.

Murder by govt: Congress

The incident has sparked outrage and criticism from various political parties. Condemning the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state government, Congress labelled the incident as “murder by government”.

BJP defends accused

BJP leader Mukesh Tanv has defended the accused claiming that the Dalit girl had attempted suicide. “A young girl from a village under our Kotwali police station attempted suicide. Four days earlier, someone had tried to violate her dignity and while a case was filed and action was taken, the accused was granted bail. It’s unclear what fears led her to douse herself in kerosene and set herself on fire,” he was quoted by India Today.

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