Man throws baby into fire after mother rejects sexual advances

A man allegedly threw a three-month-old baby girl into a fire in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Sunday after her mother protested against his sexual advances, police said.

The baby received severe burn injuries in her legs and she is being treated at the Sadar Hospital, they said.

The incident took place in the Bochahan police station area when the woman was sitting outside her home near a bonfire, police said.

The man sat beside the woman and tried to sexually harass her, against which she protested, they said.

Following this, the man snatched the baby from the woman's lap and threw her into the fire, causing severe burn injuries to the baby, police said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Baidyanath Singh said that an FIR has been lodged in connection with the incident.

The man has been booked under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), the officer said.

An investigation is underway, he added.

The women's husband alleged that the local police station did not lodge an FIR at first, following which he approached Senior Superintendent of Police Jayant Kant.

The police started the investigation on the SSP's intervention, he said, demanding immediate arrest of the accused.