A man raped a 15-year-old girl before setting her on fire early Monday morning in Gautam Buddh Nagar village, Greater Noida. Doctors at Safdarjung Hospital said she sustained 95% burn injuries and is in extremely critical condition. Because her injuries were so bad, they were not able to examine her for signs of rape.
A senior doctor in the burns department told The Indian Express that besides her face and head, her entire body was charred, adding that in such serious cases of burns, controlling infection was the biggest challenge. She is already showing signs of septicaemia, according to another doctor.
Police said the girl's family heard her screaming for help from their terrace around 2.30 am on Monday, and found her on fire. She was first taken to a district hospital and later moved to Safdarjung because of the extent of her injuries. The Class 10 student had dropped out of school last year after the 20-year-old man allegedly stalked and harassed her. After he continued to do so, her parents had asked her to stop going for tuition classes and stay at home.
The Times of India reported that there were reports of tension and violence in the girl’s village after the incident, and that police were deployed in the area.
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