india

Updated: Feb 15, 2014 02:28 IST

A dalit woman worker has been allegedly set ablaze by the owner of a brick kiln after she resisted his sexual advances in a village in Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh.



The woman suffered 95 per cent burns and was referred to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital from Meerut Medical College Hospital because of the severity of her injuries.



The role of sub-inspector Chote Lal for attempting to shield the accused has also come into focus. After recording the woman's statement, Lal had misinformed his seniors, saying it was a case of accident.



Based on Lal's report, senior police officers had told media the woman caught fire while working.



But the sub-inspector's lie was nailed when the woman narrated the horrifying incident to the tehsildar, who recorded her statement at a hospital and then briefed senior police officers about the same. Lal was suspended on Thursday evening.



It was learnt the accused Aas Mohammed, who has been arrested, used to harass the woman who worked at his kiln.



On Wednesday morning, he made advances at her, but when she resisted, he took her to a hut built at the other side of the kiln and attempted to rape her.



When she shouted for help, Mohammad allegedly threw kerosene oil on her and set her ablaze. Her co-workers had informed the police who took her to the district hospital.



The labourers of the kiln informed the police who admitted her in district hospital.