‘Molested, thrashed’ by 3 in Gorakhpur, Dalit teen tries to kill self

(Representational Image)

A 17-year-old Dalit girl set herself on fire after she was allegedly molested and beaten up by three youths from her village in Gorakhpur district on Wednesday. She is undergoing treatment for 70 per cent burns at BRD Medical College and Hospital, where her condition is said to be critical.

While police said they arrested two of the accused on Thursday, the victim’s mother alleged that this was not the first time the youths had harassed her daughter. She claimed that the accused had made advances towards her daughter around five months ago too, after which she had lodged a complaint at the local police station. However, no action was taken, she alleged.

Gorakhpur SSP Satyarth Aniruddha Pankaj said, “Though the allegation of police not responding to the earlier complaint does not seem true, I have instructed a circle officer of another area to probe the allegation.” According to her brother, the girl, a Class IX student attending school in Nashik, Maharashtra, had come to her village a few days ago. During her previous visit around 5 months ago, the same three accused had harassed her, he alleged.