A spurned suitor publicly set ablaze a schoolgirl near Tirumangalam in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai district on Friday evening for allegedly rejecting his marriage proposal, reported The New Indian Express. The 14-year-old girl been admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital.
The police said the incident took place when the girl was walking home from school along with other students. Accused S Balamurugan came on a motorcycle and accosted her. He doused her with petrol before setting her on fire. “He held her tight and set her ablaze,” the girl’s uncle, who was present at the scene, told The Hindu.
The 22-year-old man, who hails from Naduvakottai in the district, managed to escape from the scene. The police have formed special teams to trace Balamurugan.
The girl’s brother told The New Indian Express that the family knew the accused. They had earlier lodged a complaint with the All Women Police Station in Tirumangalam after Balamurugan allegedly took photographs of the girl and circulated those on social media. The police had registered a case under the provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. But Balamurugan was not arrested as he had got anticipatory bail.
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