Dalit woman accuses man of trying to burn her alive; villagers

One person was today arrested in a village of Nalanda district in Bihar for allegedly setting a dalit woman on fire for trying to resist sexual assault bid.

However, Superintendent of Police, Nalanda, Sudhir Kumar Podika said the arrest was made based on the statement given by the woman, who has been admitted to a Patna hospital in a critical condition while investigations were on in view of submissions to the contrary by residents of her village.

The matter relates to Puran Bigaha village under Giriyak police station of the district.

According to the villagers, the woman - Puniya Devi - reportedly had a fight with her husband Shankar Manjhi last night after which she poured kerosene on herself and lit a fire.

Her husband had gone out of home by the time and a neighbour Ranjit Chaudhary rushed inside hearing her screams and doused the flames by covering her body with a blanket, the SP said - quoting the villagers' version.

Chaudhary also sustained burned injuries on his hands in the process, the SP said adding, however, that the woman gave a statement at the hospital that the neighbour had been making advances to her and her refusal to indulge enraged him following which he tried to burn her alive.

The woman has also alleged that four other persons - Dina Manjhi, Sunaina Devi, Ram Dev Manjhi and Guddu Manjhi - had assisted Chaudhary in the crime and they have been named as accused in the FIR, the SP said.