New Delhi: A Dalit Class 10 student, set ablaze by two men in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra district on Tuesday, succumbed to her burn injuries in a Delhi hospital on Thursday.
Sanjali was set on fire by two bike-borne men when she was returning from Asharfi Devi Chidda Singh Intercollege in Naumeel village, about 9 km from her house, senior superintendent of police Amit Pathak said.
She was rushed to S.N. Medical College here and later taken to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi where she died. The girl had had 55% burn injuries, including facial burns, a doctor at Safdarjung Hospital said.
As news of her death reached her village Lalau, people started protesting and squatted on the roads. The Bhim Army also called for protests and demanded compensation for the victim’s family.
The Bheem Army, a Dalit group, has called for protests demanding compensation for the victim’s family. Former BSP MP Seema Upadhyay and former BSP MLA Kalicharan Suman visited the girl’s family on Wednesday, the day before her death.
Hours after her death on Thursday, Sanjali’s cousin committed suicide. “Initially we had registered an FIR under Sections 326-A (punishment for acid throwing) and it will now be updated to Section 302 (murder) against unknown persons. In another development, a family member of the girl committed suicide on Thursday afternoon. The cousin had met the girl on Wednesday evening. We are looking at possible involvement of the cousin in the entire crime and will investigate in this direction as well. The timing of his suicide seems suspicious,” Pathak said, according to Indian Express.
(With agency inputs)