Boyfriend rapes minor, sets her ablaze in Noida

GREATER NOIDA: A minor girl was allegedly raped and set on fire on the roof of her house in Greater Noida's Tigri village early on Monday.The 15-year-old sustained 95% burn injuries and is battling for life in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital . "She is terribly burnt across body parts. We are not sure if she will be able to survive for long, despite all medications," a hospital spokesperson said.The suspect was arrested but his family claimed he is a minor and pleaded for clemency. Tension erupted in the village after the horrific assault, following which police was deployed in the area.Deputy superintendent of police Rakesh Kumar said, "The incident took place between 1am and 2.30am. The girl's family was sleeping in a room in their house, while she was asleep in another room. The accused, who lives close by, entered the house and called her to the roof, where he first raped her and then set her on fire." Kumar said the girl's family, in their complaint, said the accused also hit her on the head and fled from the scene."Her mother first heard her cry for help and woke up her father. They rushed to the roof and found the girl in a critical state," said Mohammed Saleem, a relative. "There were blood stains on the roof. The accused had poured kerosene on her and set her on fire," the girl's younger sister told TOI.Police have lodged an FIR under sections 376 (rape), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 452 (trespass after preparation for hurt, assault) of IPC at Bisrakh police station. The boy's family claimed he is a minor and that he and the girl had eloped almost a year ago. "My son was born in August 2001. He is under-age, but the cops have refused to treat him as a minor," the mother of the accused told TOI. It might be added here that under the new Juvenile Justice Act, amended in the wake of the 2012 Nirbhaya rape case in Delhi, the accused could still be tried as an adult if he is between 16 and 18.Kumar said, "The accused has sustained minor burn injuries on his hand, which proves his presence at the spot." When asked if he is a minor, Kumar said, "His family claims he is, but has failed to furnish any document which establishes the claim. As of now, we're not looking at him as a minor."