Two Arrested for Gang-Raping, Setting Minor Dalit Girl on Fire in Uttar Pradesh

The girl suffered 90 percent burns and is in a "serious condition."

Gender minorities protesting against the rampant rape culture in India. Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia)

(Trigger warning: Mentions of rape and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.)

Nearly two years after the brutal Hathras rape case, two men gang-raped a minor Dalit girl and set her on fire in Uttar Pradesh's Pilbhit, police said on Saturday, 10 September.

Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar Prabhu said that the two arrested men, Rajveer (19) and Tarachand alias Tarun Kumar (25), have been sent to jail.

The incident took place in the Madhotanda area of the district on 7 September. However, it came to light when a video, wherein the victim is narrating her ordeal, went viral on Saturday.

One out of the two raped the 16-year-old girl and then poured diesel on her to set her afire.

Both were arrested on Saturday night under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Schedule Castes/Schedule Tribes Act, Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar Prabhu said.

The girl, Prabhu added, suffered 90 percent burns, is undergoing treatment at the district hospital, and is in a "serious condition." The matter is being thoroughly investigated and both the arrested accused are being questioned.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) Yogesh Kumar has recorded the statement of the girl, Prabhu had said on Sunday.

'Request Govt To Provide Money for Treatment': Victim's Father

Meanwhile, the victim's father said that his daughter was alone at home when the incident occurred.

"I was not at home, nor was my wife. Some people tried to rape my daughter and set her on fire," he said.

He also said that while his daughter's treatment was on track so far, he was quickly running out of money to pay for it.

"I request the government to provide me with some money. I am desperate," the girl's father added.

Notably, only two years ago, four upper-caste men in Hathras had brutally raped a 19-year-old Dalit woman on 14 September 2020. She died on 29 September at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital during treatment.

The victim was cremated in the night near her home. Her family had alleged that they were forced by the local police to hurriedly conduct her last rites. Local police officers, however, said that the cremation was carried out "as per the wishes of the family."