lucknow

Updated: Dec 03, 2018 08:48 IST

A 20-year-old newly-wed woman was set on fire in a village in Sitapur on Saturday afternoon for allegedly resisting a molestation bid by two brothers and submitting a police complaint against them. She suffered 45% burns in the incident and was in a critical state, said police.

The incident led to the suspension of three cops of Sitapur’s Tambaur police station, including in-charge OP Saroj, local police outpost in-charge Manoj Kumar and head constable Chedi Lal. The policemen, reportedly, did not pay heed to the woman’s earlier compliant of sexual harassment.

Taking cognizance of the incident, director general of police, OP Singh, asked inspector general of police, Lucknow, Sujeet Pandey, to rush to Sitapur to look into the matter.

The accused brothers, Raju and Rajesh, were arrested on Sunday after an FIR of molestation and attempt to murder was registered against them at Tambaur police station.

The IGP said that initial probe clearly suggested police negligence. “Three cops, including the police station in-charge, were suspended and a department inquiry initiated against them. I visited the Sitapur district hospital to learn about the victim’s condition and have ordered stern action against the accused,” he said.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, when she had gone to attend to nature’s call in a field along with other women and girls, said police quoting the victim. The brothers approached her when she was returning home and started pressurising her to take back her complaint against them.

She said when she tried to free herself from the duo’s clutches, they poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze. They fled from the spot when villagers turned up to rescue her.

Police said the victim was first rushed to the community health centre at Tambaur and later referred to the Sitapur district hospital.

The victim told police that the brothers, who stayed barely 10m from her house, had been causing her inconvenience for the past few months. She had earlier lodged a complaint against Raju, accusing him of misbehaving with her but no police personnel inquired into the matter.

A local, Zeeshan, said that the woman’s family had called up the police control room after a scuffle with the brothers over a harassment incident on November 29. “A police response vehicle visited the spot and referred the matter to Tambaur police station for further action. However, no action was taken, which emboldened the accused,” he said.

DGP OP Singh said that IGP Lucknow Sujeet Pandey had been asked to submit a comprehensive report about the incident to him. “Nobody will be spared for such gross negligence. Even the circle officer concerned, additional SP and SP Sitapur will be questioned about police inaction and insensitivity,” he said.