22-year-old woman set on fire in Jharkhand’s Dumka for rejecting marriage proposal, 1 held

A 22-year-old woman was set ablaze in Jharkhand’s Dumka district early on Friday allegedly by a man whose marriage proposal she had rejected, a police officer said.

The woman, a resident of Bhalki village in Jarmundi area, was rushed to a local hospital by family members, the officer said.

The accused, already married, has been arrested, Shivender Thakur, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Jarmundi, told PTI.

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This comes weeks after another minor girl in the district was set on fire allegedly by a man for spurning his advances. The girl died days later.

According to Thakur, "A local man, who wanted to marry the victim, had entered her home on Friday morning, poured petrol on her when she was asleep, and set her ablaze.

"She was rushed to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital by family members, and doctors later referred her to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS)."

Last month, a 14-year-old tribal girl was found hanging from a tree in Dumka, with her mother claiming that she was raped and killed.

The two incidents in Dumka involving minor girls are currently being probed by various bodies including National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the National Commission for Women (NCW).