Highlights
- Accused Shahrukh will be charged under POCSO act in Dumka killing case
- Shahrukh poured petrol on girl from outside the window of her room and set her on fire
- The teenager succumbed to her injuries on August 28
Jharkhand murder case: The accused Shahrukh will be charged under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 in the Dumka killing case.
The main accused, identified as Shahrukh, on August 23 allegedly poured petrol on the girl from outside the window of her room when she was sleeping and set her on fire. The teenager succumbed to her injuries on August 28. Shahrukh was arrested.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday sought a report from the Jharkhand director general of police on the death of the teenaged girl who succumbed after being set afire by Shahrukh apparently after she spurned his advances. A two-member NCW team visited the family members of the deceased in Dumka. A team of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is also scheduled to visit Dumka on September 4, officials said.
Though the police had initially claimed that the deceased was an adult, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Dumka district later said that the class 12 student who died days after being set on fire was a minor.
Also Read | Ankita murder case: BJP delegation meets Jharkhand class 12 girl victim's family, assures help
The Jharkhand Child Welfare Committee had asked for the addition of charges under POCSO Act in an FIR. The committee said that the girl was a minor as per the class 10 board examination mark sheet and not an adult as claimed by the police.
The High Court of Jharkhand also took suo motu cognisance of the Dumka school girl death case and ordered the Director General of Police to file a report. The DGP, Neeraj Sinha, was present in the court following a summons by the bench. The division bench of Chief Justice Dr. Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan has asked for the status report on the case. The bench asked the DGP why the victim was referred to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, and not to AIIMS, Deoghar, which is much closer from Dumka. The DGP was also asked to mention in his report whether the Deoghar facility is well-equipped to handle burn cases. Two persons, including the main accused, have been arrested in connection with the case till Tuesday afternoon.
Also Read | Jharkhand Child Welfare panel finds Dumka girl set ablaze was minor, demands actions under POCSO
