Dumka girl’s death| NCW seeks report from DGP; BJP, JMM engage in slugfest

The State government’s decision to send an acid attack victim to AIIMS in New Delhi for better treatment sparked a war of words between the ruling and opposition camps in Jharkhand

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday sought a report from the Jharkhand director general of police on the death of the teenaged girl who succumbed after being set afire by a man apparently after she spurned his advances.

The State government’s decision to send another teenager, who is an acid attack victim, to AIIMS in New Delhi for better treatment sparked a war of words between the ruling and opposition camps of the State with the BJP wondering why the Dumka girl did not get the same facility.

A two-member NCW team visited the family members of the deceased in Dumka.

“We have sought a report from the DGP. We came here to take a first-hand report of the incident,” NCW member Shalini Singh told reporters.

A team of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is also scheduled to visit Dumka on September 4, officials said.

Though the police had initially claimed that the deceased was an adult, the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Dumka district later said that the class 12 student who died days after being set on fire was a minor.

The main accused, identified as Shahrukh, on August 23 allegedly poured petrol on the girl from outside the window of her room when she was sleeping and set her on fire. The teenager succumbed to her injuries on August 28. Shahrukh was arrested.