Rape survivor set on fire in Uttar Pradesh`s Unnao; key accused surrender, total five held

The police have arrested five people in connection with the case. The men doused the woman in kerosene before in fields outside her village.

New Delhi: A rape survivor was set ablaze by her accused in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday. She has suffered 90 per cent burn injuries and is currently being treated at a hospital in Lucknow. The woman was earlier admitted to a nearby government hospital where she was brought in a critical condition. The police have arrested five people in connection with the case. 

The girl was set on fire by two of the rape accused, out on bail, along with their three associates. The two rape accused were released on bail just a day ago. One was already arrested by the police, along with three others. The key accused surrendered before the police sometime after the incident. They doused her in kerosene in the fields outside her village.  

The arrests were made on the basis of the victim's statement, wherein she named the two accused. The police accordingly raided the homes of the accused and arrested them. The men had fled the spot after setting her ablaze. 

She is being attended by the best civil surgeons of the hospital in Lucknow under tight security.  

The gruesome incident has caused tension in the region. Seeing the girl go up in flames, panic-stricken villagers informed the police who first took the rape survivor to the district hospital from where she was referred to the Trauma Centre of King Goerge Medical University in Lucknow.

The woman was raped earlier this year. "She had earlier filed a rape case, one accuse in that case has also been rounded up," the police said.  

DGP OP Singh described the incident as unfortunate and said that every effort would be made to save the victim.