A stalker publicly set ablaze a schoolgirl, aged 14, near Tirumangalam in Madurai district on Friday evening for allegedly spurning his marriage proposal. The girl sustained 70% burn injuries and is battling for her life at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH).
Special police teams have been formed to trace the accused S. Balamurugan, 22, hailing from Naduvakottai in the district. He managed to escape from the scene of the crime. Police said the victim was walking home from school along with other students of Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School when Balamurugan came on a motorcycle and accosted her. Before she could react, he pounced on her, doused her with petrol, and set her on fire as people around her screamed in shock.
“He held her tight and set her ablaze,” said the girl’s uncle, who was present at the scene.
The girl’s mother, who was going in an autorickshaw with bags of cotton to sell in Tirumangalam, saw the flames spread all over her body.
Even as she screamed and tried to jump out of the vehicle, the quick-thinking autorickshaw driver turned the auto toward the girl. He got down, covered the girl with a gunny bag to put out the fire and rushed her in his auto to the Government Hospital in Tirumangalam. Doctors there referred her to the GRH, Madurai.
The girl’s brother, a class 11th student, said the accused had taken photographs of the girl and circulated them on social media. He was warned and a police complaint was lodged with the All Women Police Station in Tirumangalam.
The police had registered a case under the provisions of Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012. However, S. Balamurugan was not arrested as he had got anticipatory bail, a police source said.
