Woman, man set themselves on fire near Supreme Court

The police said in May 2019, the woman alleged sexual assault by Bahujan Samaj Party MP from Ghosi, Atul Rai. After the MP’s anticipatory bail was rejected by the Supreme Court the same month, he surrendered in a Varanasi court in June 2019. He is currently in jail.

A woman, who alleged that she was raped in 2019, and a man set themselves on fire outside the Supreme Court on Monday, the Delhi Police said, and added that they were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where doctors described their condition as critical.

The police said the two first tried to enter the apex court’s premises around 12.30pm, and when they were denied entry, the woman poured kerosene over herself and her friend, and the two set themselves ablaze, near Supreme Court gate D. (HT Archive)

The police said the two first tried to enter the apex court’s premises around 12.30pm, and when they were denied entry, the woman poured kerosene over herself and her friend, and the two set themselves ablaze, near Supreme Court gate D.

The police said in May 2019, the woman alleged sexual assault by Bahujan Samaj Party MP from Ghosi, Atul Rai. After the MP’s anticipatory bail was rejected by the Supreme Court the same month, he surrendered in a Varanasi court in June 2019. He is currently in jail.

The woman filed another complaint against the MP and his close associate in December 2020 for maligning her image through propaganda on social media. According to the complaint, the woman alleged that ever since she filed the case against the politician, people associated with him have been harassing her and her family. She also alleged that at the MP’s behest, his close associate was running a vicious propaganda against her and a person who is a witness in the rape case.

Gopal Rai, a representative of the Ghosi MP, said that the step taken by the woman was a move of “pressure politics” to divert attention of officials from the non-bailable warrant issued by a court in Varanasi recently (first week of August) in a case of forgery against the woman.

Recently, a case was registered against the woman on a complaint lodged by the MP’s brother under IPC sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will), 468 (purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy).

The police said the woman was “stressed” and wanted to protest the alleged harassment by the MP and his associates, inside the top court premises. A senior officer, who asked not to be named, said when she was denied entry into the court premises, the woman and her friend set themselves on fire.

A video of the incident was being shared on social media, showing the two after they set themselves on fire. The video also showed some policemen throwing water at them to douse the fire.

The officer quoted above said both the victims were unconscious when they were taken to the hospital. The police said they have burns mostly on their legs, but a medical assessment of their condition was awaited.