23-year-old Muzaffarpur woman set on fire after failed rape bid, dies at Patna hospital

Patna, Dec 17: Woman who was set ablaze on December 7 in Muzaffarpur allegedly by a neighbor after she resisted his rape attempt, succumbed to her injuries today. The victim had suffered 90 per cent burns when she was admitted to Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital in Muzaffarpur. The victim's brother-in-law said the woman died around 11.40pm on Monday.

According to a leading daily, the victim's family demanded an assurance of justice from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar before she is cremated. "We want the chief minister to come and assure us of justice in the case," her brother-in-law said. He also demanded security for family members and sought that his wife, an auxiliary nursing midwife (ANM) at Bairiya in Sitamarhi, be transferred to Muzaffarpur so that she could be with her two minor children, who were witnesses in the case.

Based on a complaint filed by her mother with Ahiyapur police station, the accused has been arrested, Station House Officer (SHO) Vikas Rai said.

According to the complaint, the woman was alone at home on Saturday, when the accused, who lived close by, sneaked into her house and tried to rape her. Her mother -- who works at a primary health centre -- rushed home and took her to a hospital after a local informed her about the incident, the SHO added.

This incident Saturday's incident comes less than a week after charred bodies of two women, set afire after suspected rape and murder, were found in Buxar and Samastipur districts. In another village in Ahiyapur police station area, the body of an eight-year-old girl was found on Friday - stuffed in a bag and dumped in an orchard after suspected sexual assault.