Unnao: In a shocking incident, an 18-year-old dalit woman was set ablaze allegedly by some unidentified persons in Satni Bala Kheda village here, police said today.
The woman had gone to market on a bicycle from her home yesterday when some unidentified persons allegedly threw some inflammable liquid and set her ablaze, they said.
Her charred body was found at a distance of nearly 100 meter from her house.
The incident occurred minutes after she had left home on her bicycle for the Tedha bazar, when the accused threw petrol and set her on fire, the police said.
Her body was recovered by the side of a farmland outside her village. Her bicycle was lying close to her body.
“Going by the prima-facie evidences, it seems that the girl was burnt alive,” a police official privy to the investigation said.
18-year-old teenage Dalit girl set on fire in Uttar Pradesh village while on her way to market:
The police have also recovered an empty container and a box of matchsticks from the spot.
“A case has been registered against unidentified miscreants and the body has been shifted to mortuary for post-mortem examination. Whether the girl was sexually assaulted or not, will only be confirmed in the post-mortem report,” said station house officer Uttam Singh Rathore.
“She had left home on a bicycle for Tedha bazar area to buy vegetables on Thursday evening. Soon after, her burnt body was spotted by locals, they alerted her family members following which her parents and siblings rushed to the spot and informed police,” said superintendent of police Pushpanjali, who added it was yet to be ascertain whether she committed suicide or was murdered.
However, the victim’s parents and siblings have alleged she was burnt alive by unidentified people. Investigation are underway to identify her attackers, SP added.
Senior police officials, including the superintendent of police Pushpanjali and Inspector general (zone) Sujit Pandey, also visited the scene of the incident, the police said.
On a complaint filed by the woman’s family, an FIR against unknown persons was lodged and investigations were underway, police station incharge Uttar Singh Rathore said.
More details will be known after the post mortem examination, he said.
