Days after an alleged stalker set a minor girl on fire near Hyderabad’s Amberpet area, the victim succumbed to her injuries at the state-run Gandhi Hospital on Friday.
The victim was shifted to the burns ward with 70% burns on Tuesday night, and doctors had said that her condition remained critical.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when the accused, who was also a minor, visited the girl's house while she was alone.
The police said that the girl's family had recently arranged her wedding and even held an engagement ceremony. The family planned to conduct the wedding as soon as she turned 18, the police said.
When the accused visited the victim, the police said that a fight broke out after the latter refused to share her new phone number.
In a fit of rage, the boy allegedly doused the victim in kerosene and set her on fire.
The accused was also injured in the incident, as he burnt his hands. Initially, he told the locals that the girl had tried to immolate herself and he had suffered the injuries while trying to stop her.
However, the police managed to record the girl's statement before she was admitted, where she stated that the boy had set her on fire.
The police also said that the initial case, which had been registered under Section 307 (Attempt to murder) of the IPC, has been altered to add Section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the IPC as well.
The minor boy is also reported to be undergoing treatment at a hospital in the city, and further investigation is on.
This is the second such case in recent times, as in December last year, 22-year-old Sandhya Rani was set on fire in full public view as she was returning home from work in the city’s Lalaguda area.
Sandhya sustained 80% burns and she was rushed to the government-run Gandhi Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
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