37-year old dalit woman set ablaze by accused in Jaipur
POSTED ON NOVEMBER 17, 2020
A dalit woman in Jaipur was allegedly burnt by a man accused of raping her in April this year. The incident took place on the night of Diwali in the Kotwali area of Jaipur`s Walled City. The 37-year-old woman had filed a complaint of rape against the accused. The man had been absconding since then.
A dalit woman in Jaipur was allegedly set on fire by a man accused of raping her. The incident took place on the night of Diwali in the Kotwali area of Jaipur`s Walled City. The 37-year-old woman had filed a complaint of rape against the accused in April this year and the accused had been absconding since then.
Police have arrested the rape accused, Lekhraj Koli (28), his brothers Ramesh Chand (40), Manmohan Koli (35), and their father Kanhaiyalal (70). Kotwali police station SHO Yeshwant Singh said the four were arrested on Sunday and produced before a magistrate. The accused were sent to police remand till November 18.
Singh said the accused have been arrested under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code for an attempt to murder, and that the brothers and father of the accused have been arrested for assisting him in the crime.
He said that as per the victim`s statement, she and her daughter were at home while her husband had gone to a nearby temple on Diwali night. The accused entered her home, doused her with petrol and set her on fire, and fled.
As the woman tried to put out the fire, her 12-year-old daughter tried to help her mother and also sustained burn injuries on her legs. Hearing her screams, the woman`s husband and neighbours rushed to her rescue and put out the flames.
The woman and her daughter had been rushed to SMS hospital. The woman has sustained over 50 percent burns and her condition is serious. The daughter sustained 10 percent burns and will be discharged in a couple of days, doctors said.
Singh said the victim had filed a complaint of rape against Lekhraj in April this year. Lekhraj had been absconding since then. She had said in her complaint that Lekhraj, who is her husband`s relative and lives nearby, used to visit their house often and brought gifts for them. She said that he had raped her around 1.5 years back when she was alone at home. Since then relations between the two families had soured.
Singh said that police are probing all angles and questioning the accused and the woman`s husband to find out if there was enmity between the two families.
