Schoolgirl Set on Fire for Not Taking Calls, Five Arrested

The men would follow her while she went to coaching classes.

Image used for representation purpose.

(Photo: Lijumol Joseph/The Quint)

Five people have been arrested for allegedly setting a schoolgirl ablaze on Tuesday, 20 August, after she refused to talk to them on the phone, reported The Statesman.

Their names have been revealed as Deepak alias Chetan, Rohit, Gajraj, Rajvansh Bagdi and Devendra, the report states.

The girl's father said that the men used to harass her en route to her coaching classes and even forcibly gave her a mobile phone, saying they will call at night.

However, when the girl did not take their call, the stalkers entered the house and assaulted her and her family. They then set her on fire, alleged the girl's father.

The girl was rushed in critical condition to a local hospital and then transferred to Delhi for further treatment. The girl's father has alleged that the police is biased, reported News18.

Angry Masses Demand Justice

Led by Jeetu Nagpal, president of Meerut Vyapar Mandal, several groups comprising students, traders and activists reportedly came out on the streets on Wednesday, 22 August, to express their anger over the incident, The Statesman reported.

The masses reportedly convened at the Begum Bridge area, blocked the roads, raised slogans and demanded justice for the girl.

According to the police, Nagpal made a controversial announcement by declaring a reward of Rs 10 lakh for the head of the stalkers, the report adds. A case was later registered against him for the same.

Members of the ‘Let Me Speak ‘ group and others protested, demanding the social boycott of the accused, The Statesman reported.

They also sent a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, asking him to carry out a “gift of action” against the five accused, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Additionally, a yagna (prayer ceremony) was organised by the students’ wing of Samajwadi Party under the leadership of SP leader Atul Pradhan, in the campus of Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, the report added.

(With inputs from News18 and The Statesman)

Make Stalking a Non-Bailable Offence

Do you know that stalking is a bailable offence under the Indian criminal law? This allows stalkers to get bail without serious scrutiny, often putting victims at risk of facing acid attacks, rapes, and sometimes even murder.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB):

• There has been a 33 percent rise in stalking cases. As many as 4,699 cases were reported in 2014 and 6,266 cases were reported in 2015
• Around 26 percent of the cases ended in conviction in 2015
• Around 35 percent of the cases ended in conviction in 2014
• In 2015, 83 percent of the accused were given bail before the investigation ended
• In 2014, 85 percent of the accused were given bail before the investigation ended
• Around 60 percent of all accused were men aged between 18 and 30. Around 2 percent were juveniles between the ages of 16 and 18.

This is why The Quint has launched a petition along with Varnika Kundu and MP Shashi Tharoor to appeal that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh make stalking a non-bailable offence. Sign our petition here.