Jharkhand: 10-yearr-old set ablaze after ‘rape attempt’

An FIR was registered for attempt to rape and murder. Besides, the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has also been invoked against two unidentified men. The police have detained seven persons for questioning. However, the police claimed that preliminary investigations have not confirmed the allegations. They also said that there were some domestic issues involved and the complete picture would become clear following detailed investigation.

According to the police, the girl, daughter of a daily wage labourer, lived in a rented accommodation for the last two years in Kandra area, with her siblings. The labourer is a native of Bankura district in West Bengal. The police said that, as per the statement of the victim and her mother, the girl left her house on some pretext and was allegedly accosted by two unidentified men around 7 am on Wednesday. They allegedly took her to a crusher unit, located adjacent to the house, stripped her and tried to rape her. When the girl resisted and shouted for help, the suspects set her afire after pouring kerosene on her. They then pushed her into a dried up well close by and fled.

The girl’s cries alerted people living nearby, who, in turn, told her mother. The residents then pulled her out of the well and, subsequently, the police were informed. The girl was rushed to TMH, where she was admitted with 60 per cent burn injuries. The police have also found a jerry can, match sticks and some burnt clothes of the girl, who used to study in class 4 in a nearby school.

“The victim gave her statement to the police. We have registered a case. The girl said that she could identify the men, but did not know them by name. We have detained seven suspects. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the couple had marital discord. The woman also had two other children, who lived with the parents. But, they are missing. Detailed investigations are required to verify the claims,” said an official associated with the case. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Seraikela) Sumeet Kumar said: “The sequence of events is yet to be established. Nobody seems to have seen the incident, even though it was daylight and the place is not secluded. The husband and wife had earlier fought violently, leading to a complaint at the police station. We are investigating.”