Jharkhand Girl Burnt Alive: Child Welfare Committee Says Deceased Was A Minor

The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in the Dumka district of Jharkhand said that the class 12 student who died after being set on fire by a stalker was a minor. The Committee said that the girl was around 16 years old according to the class 10 board examination mark sheet.

Earlier, the Dumka Police said that the deceased Ankita Kumar was 19 years old in the statement given before the magistrate. The CWC recommended that action be taken under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.

A four-member team led by Dumka CWC chairperson Amarendra Kumar met with the deceased’s family and procured her mark sheet. Kumar said, “According to her mark sheet, she was born on November 26, 2006, she was a minor." He added that the accused should be charged under sections of the POCSO Act.

Jharkhand Girl Burnt Alive

On August 23, the accused Shahrukh Hussain allegedly poured petrol on the class 12 student from outside her window when she sleeping and set her on fire. The police said he set the curtains on fire and threw liquid inside the room so that she was trapped inside. Her parents doused the flames and took her to the hospital.

The girl said that Hussain repeatedly called her and pestered her to become his friend before he attacked her. Hussain called her on her phone on August 22 and threatened to kill her if she did not talk to him.

The girl informed her father about the threat and he planned on speaking with Hussain’s family on August 23. The teenager was set ablaze by the accused and was admitted to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in Dumka in critical condition. She was taken to Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Ranchi where she succumbed to her burn injuries during treatment.

The main accused Hussain and Chhotu Khan, the person who supplied the petrol were arrested. The Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren said, “A lot of evil acts are being seen in society. This incident is heart-wrenching and the law is taking its course. The accused has been arrested. It is our effort to see that he is punished at the earliest.”

Suggested Reading: Jharkhand Woman Burnt Alive For Rejecting Advances: When Will We Take Stalking Seriously?