District SP Dr CB Vedamurthy told NDTV that two others were arrested for assisting the accused (File)
A woman died in a fire at her house in northern Karnataka’s Yadgir district in the early hours of Monday when she resisted an attempt to rape.
A senior police officer said that the accused Gangappa forcibly entered the woman’s house at 2 pm and tried to rape her. When she resisted, he came back with petrol from his motorcycle (parked outside the woman’s house), poured it on her and set her on fire.
A case has been registered at Surpura police station, the senior official said.
The accused has been arrested and charged with murder and outraging modesty of a woman.
District Superintendent of Police Dr CB Vedamurthy told NDTV that two others have been arrested for helping the accused.
The critically scorched woman was treated at a hospital in Kalaburgi district, where she later died.
A disturbing video of her dying statement – in which she names her attacker – has been shared on social media. In the video, she says that the accused entered her house at 2 pm.
The woman’s sister said that the accused was following her brother for a year; He followed her, she said, every time she went to the fields or to the toilet. The sister claimed that the village head was informed about the harassment but nothing was done.
He said, “He (accused) went to her house at 2 am, poured petrol on her and set her on fire. (He) then closed the door and ran away.”
Vedamurthy told NDTV that the panchayat had “compromised” between the woman and her alleged killer, which unfortunately meant that no police complaint was filed.
He said that if the police had been informed, a case would have been registered against the accused and arrested.
The woman had been married for seven years.
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