Dehradun, December 18: An 18-year-old girl was set ablaze by a stalker after she turned down his proposal. The incident took place near Kotdwar road in Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand on Sunday. The accused, identified as Manoj Singh, was arrested on the same evening. The victim, a student of B.Sc second year, was being treated in AIIMS Rishikesh. She received about 80 per cent burn injuries.
According to a report, the girl was on her way back home on her bike from college when Manoj intercepted and forced her to stop. He proposed her in the middle of the road. The girl rejected his proposal on his face which left him furious. “Irked at her reply, the accused poured petrol on her from a can that he was carrying, set her on fire and fled,” senior superintendent of police Pauri Garhwal, Jagat Ram Joshi, was quoted as saying.
A passerby noticed the girl crying in pain and informed the police. Cops took her to a nearby hospital from where she was later shifted to AIIMS Rishikesh. “At the hospital, the victim told police that accused Singh had been stalking her over the last few days and wanted to talk to her, which she refused repeatedly,” Joshi added. The accused lives in a village about 150-200 metres away from the victim’s village.
Manoj was booked for molestation and attempt to murder. On Monday, there was a protest by students, including the victim’s classmates, to seek a death sentence for the accused.
