Harassed girl immolates self in UP

A 14-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh succumbed to burn injuries Monday, two days after she set herself afire following continued harassment by a group of youths, police said.

The police were yet to take action against the culprits, even as officials say they are on the lookout for those who harassed her.

The girl was followed and harassed by one Rohit and his friends for some time. On Saturday, Rohit again intercepted her and proposed marriage to her. The girl returned home where she locked herself in a room and set herself on fire. She was later rushed to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries Monday, police said.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Kanpur Amitabh Yash, while confirming the incident, told IANS that the girl was a resident of Hanumant Nagar and was being hounded by some local boys.

The family of the girl had named neighbour Rohit and his friends for harassing her and pushing her into taking such an extreme step.

Earlier, police had last month arrested Rohit following complaints by the girl’s family but he was out of lockup soon as the charges slapped on him were minor. After this, he had started threatening the girl, about which the police were informed.

The grief-stricken family has not yet lodged any complaint with the police.

“Once this happens, we will arrest the culprits and book them,” said a police official.