Girl set ablaze, succumbs to burns

A 10-year-old girl, who was set on fire by some people at Hulimavu on Thursday, died at Victoria Hospital here on Saturday morning. 

Kavitha had suffered 85 per cent burns on her head and neck.  She was able to speak at the time of her admission to hospital that helped in apprehending the accused.  

Dr K I  Ramesh, in charge of the Victoria Hospital Burns ward, said the girl was given the best possible medical attention. However, she did not respond to the treatment and succumbed to the deep burns. A post-mortem was conducted in the hospital and later the body was handed over to the family.

Kavitha’s father Venkatesh, a cab driver, said he would ensure that her killers “are punished.”  “I will fight till the end and will not leave those killers until they are punished. My daughter was very dear to me. She had told me that she wanted to be a teacher one day.  I am left with only her memories now,” he said.  

Kavitha was targeted by her father’s rivals who had a property dispute with him. On the fateful day, Kavitha and her sister Kavya (8) were on their way to school when some masked attackers poured kerosene on the victim and set her ablaze at Pilliganahalli. 

Harish and Srinivas, two of the accused, have been arrested. They are now in judicial custody. “We receive around 10 burns cases in a day.  We do see homicides among adults, mainly dowry-related cases; but setting a 10-year-old girl ablaze is a very ruthless action by mankind,” Dr Ramesh said.