The Bulandshahr district administration on Wednesday provided security to the family of a 16-year-old rape victim, a day after she died of burn injuries sustained when the family of the rape accused allegedly set her on fire, officials said.
Bulandshahr district magistrate Ravindra Kumar said that the family of the girl, who belongs to the Dalit community, sought protection fearing threat to their lives.
According to officials, the accused had allegedly raped the girl on August 15 in an orchard in Jahangirabad area of the district. The accused was arrested the same day and charged for rape, the officials said.
The girl’s family has alleged that the family of the accused was pressuring her to withdraw the complaint and settle for a compromise, the officials said.
On Tuesday morning, when the girl refused to withdraw the complaint, an uncle of the accused allegedly set her on fire. The girl was rushed to a district hospital for treatment, from where the doctors referred her to New Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohiya hospital. The girl succumbed to burns late on Tuesday evening.