1 held for setting woman on fire in Jharkhand's Dumka

Dumka, Aug 23: A woman was allegedly set on fire by a man on Tuesday as she apparently did not reciprocate to his overtures in Jharkhand's Dumka district, police said.

The 19-year-old woman, a student of Class 12, was admitted to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital here in a critical condition with 90 per cent burn injury, police said.

The accused, identified as Shahrukh, has been arrested.

The incident took place in Dumka town when the woman was fast asleep at her home.

Shahrukh allegedly poured petrol on the woman from a distance and set her on fire. The accused is a construction worker, Town police station in-charge Nitish Kumar told PTI.

According to the statement given to an executive magistrate, the woman said that the accused called her on her mobile around 10 days back pestering her to become his friend.

He called me again around 8 pm on Monday and told me that he would kill me, if I did not talk to him. I informed my father about the threat after which he had assured me that he would talk to the man's family on Tuesday. After having our dinner, we went to sleep. I was sleeping in another room.

On Tuesday morning, I experienced a sensation of pain on my back and could smell something burning. I found him running away when I opened my eyes. I started screaming in pain and went to my father's room. My parents doused the fire and took me to the hospital, the woman spoke with great difficulty while the police recorded her statement.