Girl set ablaze for resisting rape, critical

A 15-year-old girl suffered critical burn injuries after she was allegedly set on fire by four men in Khejratal village in the district for resisting their rape attempt, a police officer said on Monday.

The incident took place on Saturday evening when the girl had stepped out of her house to answer nature's call, the officer said. The girl, who has suffered critical burn injuries, was admitted to the district hospital in Ashok Nagar, even as the accused have gone absconding, police said.

"As per the complaint, the accused men, identified as Chandrabhan (20), Ravindra (20) and two others, tried to pull the victim and forcibly take her with them when she went to answer nature's call in the open fields on Saturday evening.

However, when she raised an alarm, her younger brother came there and she could escape from the spot," Shadora police station in-charge Narendra Singh Yadav said.

A case has been registered against the accused. All of them are on the run and a search operation has been launched, the officer said.