The ill-fated girl suffered severe burns to her body after her step father R Jesu Anthony Raj (45) allegedly set her on fire. 

The incident occurred on November 17 after the girl was alleged to have stolen eatables from a bakery. The girl and her two siblings went to the bakery to buy evening snacks, sources said.

According to police, Ramzan (54), who works in the bakery, claimed that the girl took away a packet of potato chips and a packet of groundnut without paying.

He informed it to Jesu Anthony Raj, who got irked over such behavior after returning home and scolded them before dousing kerosene on Maheswari and her siblings. However, those two siblings escaped unhurt as they ran away. Unfortunately, Maheswari was caught on fire and suffered 95 per cent burns to her body.

The injured girl was then rushed to Kanniyakumari Government Medical College Hospital. After three days of treatment, the girl succumbed to burns at 11.15 pm, on Friday, sources said.

Police booked a case based on the complaint by the mother of the victim and accused Jesu Anthony Raj, who used to torture the children, is yet to be arrested as he has been hospitalised on wheezing complaint.