Rajasthan Woman Dies After Being Raped and Set on Fire; Accused Arrested and Charged with Murder and Rape

Swarajya Times , Jaipur : A woman in Rajasthan’s Barmer district was allegedly raped and set on fire by a man, and died while receiving treatment at a government hospital in Jodhpur. Police have arrested the accused who had been absconding. According to the FIR lodged by the woman’s husband, the accused, identified as Shakur Khan, broke into their house while she was alone and raped her. When a neighbor reached the spot upon hearing her cries, the accused poured acid-like chemical on the victim, set her on fire, and fled. The woman suffered 40-50% burn injuries and was admitted to a government hospital in Balotra, then later referred to Jodhpur. The police have registered a case under various IPC sections and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The accused, Shakur Khan, belongs to the same village as the victim and was arrested late on Friday night. The family members of the victim reportedly approached the police around 1:30 AM on Thursday, but the police initially avoided filing an FIR. However, the FIR was lodged in the wee hours of Friday after the case became critical. The woman, who was a mother of two, died while receiving treatment. The police have added Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the IPC in the FIR and the body will be handed over to the family members after getting the autopsy done.

The incident has sparked outrage, with politicians condemning the crime and the law and order situation in the state. Union minister of agriculture and farmers welfare, Kailash Choudhary, condemned the incident and called it a black spot on Rajasthan. He alleged that the current state government has turned a blind eye to the law and order situation.

इस शर्मनाक घटना के संबंध में सामने आया एक पहलू अति निंदनीय है कि यह घटना गुरुवार को घटित हो चुकी थीं लेकिन इसका एक दिन बाद शुक्रवार को उजागर होना ध्वस्त कानून प्रणाली के साथ यह प्रश्न खड़ा करता है कि "आखिर किसके प्रयासों एवं इशारों पर इस घटना को छुपाया जा रहा था?" — Kailash Choudhary (@KailashBaytu) April 8, 2023

हाथ पर हाथ धरे बैठी प्रदेश कांग्रेस सरकार एवं प्रशासन यह स्पष्ट कर दे कि इस प्रकार की घटनाएं अस्वीकार्य है, अतः अपील रहेगी कि घटना के सभी पहलुओं को एक साथ लेकर निष्पक्ष जांच करें व पीड़िता को न्याय दिलाए।#BarmerJaisalmer #Balotra — Kailash Choudhary (@KailashBaytu) April 8, 2023

Meanwhile, Nagaur MP and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) leader Hanuman Beniwal demanded the strictest legal action against the accused and said that such acts indicate that there is no fear of law among the criminals.

बाड़मेर जिले के पचपदरा थाना क्षेत्र में अनुसूचित जाति की महिला के साथ दुष्कर्म करके उसे ज्वलनशील पदार्थ से जलाने की घटना के बाद अस्पताल में पीड़िता की मृत्यु हो जाना अत्यंत पीड़ादायक है
1/1 — HANUMAN BENIWAL (@hanumanbeniwal) April 8, 2023

मैंने RLP के प्रदेश अध्यक्ष व भोपालगढ़ विधायक श्री पुखराज गर्ग सहित पार्टी के पदाधिकारियों को आंदोलित लोगो व दिवंगत महिला के परिजनों से मुलाकात करने कल बालोतरा जाने के निर्देश दिए है ! @RajCMO संज्ञान लेकर त्वरित प्रभाव से पीड़ित परिवार को अधिकतम आर्थिक सहायता प्रदान करावे
2/1 — HANUMAN BENIWAL (@hanumanbeniwal) April 8, 2023