Dumka incident: Deceased was a 'MINOR', accused 'Shahrukh' to be charged under POCSO ACT

The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Jharkhand's Dumka district has recommended that the accused in the case should be tried under the sections of the POCSO Act.

Ranchi/Dumka: The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Jharkhand's Dumka district has said that the class 12 student who died days after being set on fire by her jilted lover was a ‘minor’ and demanded action against the accused under the POCSO Act.

The committee said she was around 16 years old as per the class 10 board examination marksheet and not a major as claimed by the police. "We recommend that sections of the POCSO Act be added to the FIR as the girl was a minor as per our probe," Dumka CWC chairperson Amarendra Kumar was quoted as saying by PTI.

A four-member CWC team led by Kumar met the victim's family on Monday and procured her marksheet. "According to her marksheet, she was born on November 26, 2006, she was a minor. So, sections under the POCSO Act are applicable in this case," he added.

The Dumka Police had earlier claimed that the deceased had mentioned that she was 19 years old in the statement given before the magistrate. The shocking incident happened in Dumka town on August 23 when the accused, identified as Shahrukh, allegedly poured petrol on the deceased from outside the window of her room when she was sleeping and set her on fire, police said.

The girl, identified as Ankita Kumari, was a student of class 12 and had been first admitted to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in Dumka in critical condition. Later she was referred to Ranchi`s Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) for better treatment where she died.

She died on Sunday. The accused was later arrested by the police. The girl’s body was cremated on the banks of the Mayurakshi River amid tight security. Soon after the incident came to light, people took to streets of Dumka demanding arrest and stringent action against the accused.