A 20-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped and set afire by a youth and his associates in Desarmau village under Ekdil police station area in Etawah, police said on Friday.
The girl was in a relationship with Farman, also of the same village. She had on Thursday gone to his house to ask him to marry her when the incident took place.
According to the FIR lodged by the victim’s brother, Mr. Farman and his five associates raped the girl and when she threatened to disclose the matter, she was set ablaze by the accused.
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The girl who was rushed to the district hospital was referred to the Safai Hospital where she is said to be critical, police said.
The villagers have, however, alleged that the girl herself sprinkled kerosene and tried to set afire to pressurise Mr. Farman, who was not interested in marrying her. The girl accidentally caught fire when the youth tried to snatch the matchstick.
The accused Mr. Farman and his family members have fled the village and efforts were on to nab them, police said.
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Infuriated over the incident, the locals tried to set Mr. Farman’s house ablaze but the elders in the village mediated and brought the situation under control.