Ludhiana area tense as rape victim succumbs to burns

Mohit Khanna & Ritika Jha Palial

Tribune News Service

Dhandari/Chandigarh, Dec 9

The 17-year-old Ludhiana rape victim who was allegedly set afire by the accused on December 4 died at a government hospital in Chandigarh today. The Prem Nagar locality in Dhandari remained tense as people gathered outside the victim’s house and protested against the police.

Six persons had allegedly entered the victim’s house in the Dhandari area and set her ablaze. The girl suffered over 70 per cent burns.

Curfew-like situation prevailed in the area as shops and business establishments remained shut. Heavy police force was deployed as a preventive measure.

The accused — Shahzad, Anwar, Binder, Babbu, Niaz and Amarjit — have now been booked under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code. Amarjit and Babbu are still at large.

The victim’s mother demanded a CBI probe and accused a local politician of pressuring the family to withdraw cases against the accused.

The victim, who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh, was declared dead around 1.30 am today. 

The post-mortem examination was conducted around 12 pm by a team of forensic experts.

Her body was taken to Ludhiana by her father and uncle around 3 pm. The victim’s family said they would carry out the last rites of their daughter only after all six accused were arrested.

The victim’s mother blamed the police for her daughter’s death. “Had the police done their duty, my daughter would not have been burnt alive by the killers. 

We were made to run from one police station to another to get a case registered,” she alleged. The victim’s father said his daughter’s last wish was to see the perpetrators punished. Shahzad, Babbu, Vicky and Anwar had allegedly kidnapped the victim while she was on her way to school at Dandhari Kalan on October 25. The accused allegedly raped the girl and dumped her outside her house on October 27.

“We went to three police stations/posts — Dhandari, Focal Point and Sahnewal — before a case was registered. Shoddy investigation by the police enabled the accused get bail from court,” the victim’s mother said.

She alleged the relatives of the accused came to her house on October 31 and tied her daughter to a pole before threatening them to withdraw the complaint.

“Fearing threat to her life, we approached Police Commissioner Promod Ban on December 1. But nothing was done and three days later our daughter was set on fire,” said a victim’s relative.

Promod Ban said four of the six accused had been arrested and hunt was on to arrest the remaining two.

On allegations that the girl was a victim of honour killing, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police- II Jasdev Singh Sidhu said no one had filed a complaint.