A local court in Aurangabad on Wednesday remanded a 40-year-old man in seven-day police custody for assaulting and setting ablaze a 50-year-old woman from the Dalit community in Sillod tehsil.
The incident, which occurred in Andhari village on February 2, came to light in the wake of a similar incident in which a 25-year-old college lecturer in Wardha district’s Hinganghat was set ablaze by a stalker earlier this week.
According to the Aurangabad rural police, one Santosh Sakharam Mohite (40), who runs a liquor shop in the village, was arrested late on Tuesday night and produced before a local court on Wednesday which sent him to police custody.
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Mr. Mohite had attempted to barge into the lady’s house late on Sunday night. “The woman, who is married and has two daughters, apparently lived alone in her house and was sleeping when Mohite tried to storm into the house around 11.30 p.m. on Sunday night and assault her. After she tried to resist him, the accused doused the lady in kerosene and set her ablaze. He then locked the door from outside and fled,” said a police official from Sillod, adding that the accused and the victim apparently knew each other.
On hearing her cries, the woman’s relatives residing nearby broke into the house and took her to a local hospital. She was later shifted to a government hospital where she is battling for her life.
According to hospital authorities, she has suffered over 90% burns, is on oxygen support and right now is extremely critical.
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The police have booked Mr. Mohite under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code
He has also been charged under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the police said.
“The crimes against women that have occurred in Aurangabad and Wardha distircts are extremely shocking and painful… It is my opinion that those who have dared to commit such heinous acts against the victims must be swiftly awarded the death penalty. Our government has taken serious note of these incidents and we will be fast-tracking both cases to ensure speedy justice,” said State Women and Child Development Minister Yashomati Thakur.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in Mumbai said that the police were conducting further investigations in the Aurangabad case, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Chitra Wagh slammed Mr. Deshmukh for his alleged insensitivity in hinting that the lady was set ablaze after a relationship between herself and the accused went sour.
Hitting out at the Maha Vikas Aghadi government for failing to rein in the sharp surge in crimes against women in the State, Ms. Wagh demanded that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray must step down from his post.
In response, Rupali Chakankar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)’s women wing, said it was improper to play politics over both incidents.