INDORE: The 23-year-old final-year pharmacy student , who was allegedly raped and set ablaze by her class mates in Kasrawad hamlet on Saturday, nearly 90 km away from state’s commercial capital, succumbed to her injuries on Sunday morning, at a private hospital, here. She battled for life for nearly 20 hours with 96 per cent burn.

All three arrested accused were produced before Kasrawad court from where they were sent to jail till May 23.

Till Saturday, police investigations which were confined to spurned love affair with one of the three accused broadened further a day after the incident. The short post-mortem report revealed injuries on private parts confirming rape. Forensic experts including Dr Bharat Vajpai and Dr P Azad did the post-mortem at district hospital after which the dead body was handed over to the family members. The last rites were performed at Ojhra of Kasrawad hamlet from where girl belonged.

Writhing in pain and gasping for breath in the burns ward, the girl named the accused — Ankit Rathore, 21, of Indore, Akshay Joshi, 22, of Bakaner and Vishal Chaudhary, 21, of Pandhana in her dying declaration. She had given statements to tehsildar Pradeep Kaurav who had kept portion of statement confidential due to judicial inquiry.

On Saturday afternoon, the girl was alone at home when three of her college mates came to visit her with an invite for a function. Once inside, they bolted the door, poured kerosene over her and set her ablaze, police said.

Her screams alerted neighbours and an uncle of the victim, who rushed inside and nabbed the accused. Residents informed the police, who took the three into their custody.

The three accused, Ankit, Akshay and Vishal are inmates of a hostel of GRY Institute of Pharmacy, just metres away from the girl’s house. Kasrawad police station in charge, Girish Jejurkar, said, “As the autopsy report has confirmed rape with the victim girl, the charges of rape and murder will be registered against the accused. Further investigations in the case are on.” A complaint has lodged by the girl’s uncle.