Mohali: Teen’s family had ‘slapped’ stalker before her set her ablaze

The slap had allegedly triggered the accused, Deepak, who had returned with two of his relatives, barged into the girl’s room and set her ablaze

Days after a 24-year-old man set a 16-year-old ablaze after pouring sanitiser on her at her residence in Phase 7, Mohali, it has now emerged that her family had confronted him over his repeated unwanted advances towards the girl and even slapped him during a confrontation before the attack.

According to the family members, the accused had been harassing her for the past few months and they had objected to his conduct earlier too. (HT File)

The slap had allegedly triggered the accused, Deepak, who had returned with two of his relatives, barged into the girl’s room and set her ablaze. While Deepak had been arrested a few hours after the incident and sent to two-day police remand, which ends Tuesday, his two relatives were caught on Monday.

After the incident, the accused had even locked the room from the outside before fleeing. On hearing her screams, her family members broke open the door and rushed her to the civil hospital in Phase 6, from where doctors referred her to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. The girl had suffered 80% burns and remains critical.

According to the family members, Deepak had been harassing her for the past few months and they had objected to his conduct earlier too. Police are investigating the claims. A case has been registered under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 74 (criminal force against a woman to outrage her modesty), 124(1) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 331 (trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.