Officials from Yashoda Hospital in Secunderabad confirmed to TNM that 20-year-old Ravali, who was set on fire by her stalker, succumbed to her injuries on Monday evening.
Ravali, a native of Warangal, was set on fire by her classmate Anwesh, who had been harassing her for months by asking her to marry him. She was walking to college on the morning of Wednesday February 27, when Anwesh stopped her and asked her to marry him. When she refused, he took out a bottle of petrol which he had concealed in his bag and poured it on her and set her on fire. The incident took place at around 9am in Warangal district’s Nayeem Nagar.
She had been rushed to MGM Hospital and then taken to Yashoda Hospital in Secunderabad where she had been undergoing treatment. Upon arrival, she was intubated and placed on ventilatory support to maintain normal breathing, as there had been significant damage to her airway and lungs from the fumes, which left her unable to breathe on her own. Intubation is a method by which an artificial tube is introduced into a person’s airway to help them breathe, in case they are not able to maintain normal respiration for a number of reasons.
At the time, doctors at the hospital had stated that she had sustained 70 percent burns (third degree) and that her condition remained ‘grave.’ After observing her for around 26 hours, doctors noted that her condition was deteriorating and that she needed medicines to maintain a stable blood pressure level. They also said that Ravali was unable to maintain a normal oxygen saturation level and required ventilatory support.
Answesh, who had been harassing her for several months, was apprehended by the police and booked under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 354 D (stalking) of IPC.