Why Is Justice For Ankita Trending? Woman Set On Fire Dies, Accused Arrested In Dumka

A 19-year-old woman from Jharkhand’s Dumka district, set on fire by a man harassing her, succumbed to her injuries in the early hours of Sunday. Her death triggered protests in the Dumka town, following which prohibitory orders were placed.

The 19-year-old woman named Ankita, a student of Class 12, had been first admitted to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in Dumka in critical condition with 90 per cent burns. Later, she was referred to Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) for better treatment, the police said.

Why Is Justice For Ankita Trending?

Following her death, people have been sharing photos and calls for justice on social media. A Twitter user shared some photos of Ankita and said: “Ankita, a girl from Jharkhand who was poured gasoline and set on fire by her neighbour Shahrukh, died last night. Her father, Sanjeev Singh, said that Ankita breathed her last at 2:30 p.m. At night, she would ask: ‘Tell me honestly if I will survive or not.’

Another user shared a video of the accused being arrested and wrote, "Such disgusting and frustrated animals should be hanged soon."

One user shared the plight of her parents and wrote in a post, "It take years of sweat blood and emotions to raise a kid. To see them snatched away from you is just heart wrenching."

The official #MeToo handle of India urged all to raise voice against incidents of stalking, " This cycle of attack on girls and women, relentless stalking, the refusal to take "no" for an answer, violating consent and privacy, police, families not taking these threats seriously - has to stop. Enough is enough. Today a young, bright life and light is extinguished."

The accused, identified as Shahrukh Husain, has already been arrested. The incident occurred when the woman was fast asleep at her home on Tuesday morning.

“Shahrukh allegedly poured petrol on the woman from a window and set her on fire. The accused is a construction worker,” Dumka town police station in-charge Nitish Kumar had told Press Trust of India.

According to the statement given to an executive magistrate, the woman had said that the accused called her on her mobile around 10 days back pestering her to become his friend.

“He called me again around 8 pm on Monday and told me that he would kill me if I did not talk to him. I informed my father about the threat after which he assured me that he would talk to the man’s family on Tuesday. After having our dinner, we went to sleep. I was sleeping in another room. On Tuesday morning, I experienced a sensation of pain on my back and could smell something burning. I found him running away when I opened my eyes. I started screaming in pain and went to my father’s room. My parents doused the fire and took me to the hospital,” the woman had spoken with great difficulty while the police recorded her statement.

Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta said stringent action will be taken against perpetrators ensuring a fast trial.

“The state government is serious regarding the murder of a girl in Dumka. Stringent action will be taken against perpetrators. We will ensure a fast trial. We have talked to DC in this regard,” Gupta said.

Suggested Reading: 19-Year-Old Jharkhand Woman Burnt Alive By Stalker: 10 Things To Know