Teen Forced To Marry Her Rapist Sets Self On Fire, In Critical Condition

A gang rape teenage survivor in India set herself on fire after being allegedly forced by her harassers, who were out on bail, to withdraw the case and marry one of them.

The 16-year-old girl set herself ablaze after pouring diesel all over her, the Firstpost reported. The victim, whose identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy, acquired 70% burns and was rushed to the district hospital. She was later transferred to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, where she was reportedly fighting for her life.

Superintendent of police Ashok Kumar Meena also asked Safdarjung Hospital to ensure that the girl received proper treatment. According to Meena, both accused would be charged under the stringent National Security Act (NSA).

Sub-inspector Dipendra Kumar has also been deployed to the hospital to secure the girl and her family's safety.

The station house officer (SHO) Sachin Kumar Singh told The Times of India that both accused were brothers sent to jail after lodging a first information report (FIR) under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against them.

The rape reportedly happened on Jan. 8, 2021, at around 8 p.m. She was out in the field for defecation when the two accused kidnapped the minor girl.

In the victim's police complaint, she said that on her way home, both accused came from behind and dragged her to an isolated place where they violated and harassed her.

"I cried and pleaded to let me go, but one of them held my hand from the back while the other one held my legs and pushed me to the ground. Then they took turns to rape me and fled the scene leaving me unconscious. Later, I woke up in the hospital," the rape survivor included in her statement.

A few weeks ago, when the girl was out in the market, the accused went after her and blocked her way to threaten the girl to withdraw the case or face terrible consequences. In early August this year, the two accused managed to get bail, police said.

The accused were reportedly pressuring the girl to marry one of them, which resulted in the girl taking extreme action on Nov. 7 when her father was out working in the fields at their village in Fatehgarh of Farukkhabad in Uttar Pradesh.

"The two men made my daughter's life hell. They used to mentally harass her by sending messages on the phone. They threatened her that they would kill her family members if she didn't do as they ordered," the father said. According to him, the police did not reach and investigate the spot even though the village head had informed them about it. Later on, they met the superintendent of police and lodged their complaint.