Stalked and harassed, teenage girl immolates self, dies

A teenage girl today succumbed to the burn injuries here, a few days after she set herself afire alleging stalking and harassment by some youths.
The 17-year-old girl had attempted suicide by self-immolation at Kal Banjara village in Sangrur district a few days ago and sustained burn injuries to most of her body, her brother said.
She was admitted to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here yesterday.
"The girl had suffered 85 per cent burn injuries. Best efforts were made to save her, but she passed away today," a doctor from the burns emergency ward at PGIMER here said.

In a video clip recorded by her brother before she succumbed, the girl, studying in class XI, has accused some boys from neighbouring Khandewal village of instigating the immolation.
The girl, in the clip, revealed her ordeal and alleged that the boys had been harassing her for several days and one of them even slapped her publicly when she objected to their actions.

According to her brother, one of the accused had even tried to forcibly hand over a mobile phone to her so that she could take calls from them.
He told reporters that she did not inform her family of the alleged harassment fearing they would stop her from going to school, cutting short her dream of becoming a doctor.

Meanwhile, one of the accused in the case has been arrested today, Sangrur SSP Pritpal Singh Thind said.
The police have also registered case under various Sections of the IPC and also under the provisions of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act.