A Dalit girl from Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa, who was molested, was set on fire on October 12, the day India was celebrating Dussehra. After battling for her life for five days, the girl succumbed to her injuries late on Thursday night while undergoing treatment. Following the attack, she was referred to MY Hospital in Indore for advanced medical care, where she breathed her last. The Congress is now targeting the Mohan Yadav government over the incident and demanded his resignation.
The police had already arrested the accused on charges of attempted murder. However, with the victim’s death, the charges against him will be escalated.
The chain of incidents started on October 7 when a case of harassment of the Dalit girl was reported from a village near the Khandwa district headquarters. The police swiftly arrested the accused, Mangilal, from the Kotwali police station area. However, he was later released on bail.
In the meantime, Mangilal's son, Arjun, threatened the victim, seeking revenge for the accusations and the case against his father. Not only did the accused and his family threaten the girl, but they also allegedly assaulted them.
The lethal attack against the girl occurred on October 12, the day of Dussehra, when Arjun allegedly poured petrol on the girl and set her on fire in an attempt to kill her. The girl's father acted quickly, extinguishing the flames and rushing her to the district hospital in Khandwa. There, she informed the authorities that Arjun, the son of the accused in the harassment case, had set her on fire. Arjun was immediately arrested by the police.
Due to the severity of her injuries, the victim was transferred to MY Hospital in Indore for better treatment. Unfortunately, she passed away late Thursday night. After the post-mortem, her body will be returned to Khandwa for the final rites.
The incident has sparked political outrage. Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Kamal Nath and Congress President Jitu Patwari, took to Twitter to criticize the state government. Kamal Nath expressed his grief over the girl’s death, saying, "I deeply mourn the demise of this young girl. May her soul rest in peace. The death of Khandwa's daughter once again shows that law & order in Madhya Pradesh has collapsed. Girls are unsafe everywhere, and criminals are acting fearlessly."
Jitu Patwari slammed the Mohan Yadav government saying that his reign had turned Madhya Pradesh into "jungle raj".
"This was "government murder". Your [Mohan Yadav's] police neither took action in time nor provided security to the victim. That is why the accused dared [to kill the victim]," Jitu Patwari said.