In Barmer, Dalit woman set afire after rape, dies

Jaipur, April 8

A Dalit woman who was allegedly raped and set afire by a man in Rajasthan’s Barmer district died during treatment at a government hospital in Jodhpur, the police said on Saturday.

The 30-year-old woman, a mother of two, was allegedly raped and set ablaze by Shakoor Khan at her house on April 6. She suffered around 50 per cent burns, according to the police.

The opposition BJP in the state accused the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot-led government of trying to suppress the incident and said it showed ‘jungle raj’ was prevalent in Rajasthan. Union Jal Shakti Minister and Jodhpur MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat alleged the woman died due to delay in treatment.

Barmer Superintendent of Police Digant Anand said the woman died late Friday at a hospital in Jodhpur and the accused had been arrested.

Khan, who hails from the same village as the victim, has been booked under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 450 (house-trespass to commit offence), and some Sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the police said.