Indian police formed a special unit on Tuesday to investigate the death of a girl who said she was set on fire by a stalker after rejecting a marriage proposal. The case generated outrage in the country, where violence against women is frequent.
Radical Hindu groups have called for the death of the accused, a Muslim who police said lived in the same village as the victim, a Hindu, in Dumka district in the eastern state of Jharkhand.
Police said the man poured kerosene on the victim, named Ankita, through the window of her home when she was sleeping and set her on fire on Tuesday. She died in hospital from severe burns on Sunday (28).
“Two officers have been deployed to the city and will coordinate the investigation with the district police chief,” said Amol V. Homkar, a spokesman for Jharkhand police, adding that the accused and a co-accused were arrested.
Reuters was unable to immediately contact the accused’s family or his lawyer.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad, or World Hindu Council, said the majority of the Hindu community would take to the streets in protest if appropriate measures were not taken.
District authorities restricted the movement of people to avoid any consequences of the incident.
“After the cruelty inflicted on Ankita, her death made all Indians bow their heads in shame,” Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition party in Congress, said on Twitter.
“Today, there is a dire need to create a safe environment for women in the country.”
(Editor: Jan Harvey)
Source: CNN Brasil
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