Class X girl set on fire for objecting to harassment

BHAWANIPATNA: A Class X girl of Madhupur village was set on fire on Wednesday evening by two youths, including a minor, as she dared to take on them for passing lewd comments at her. The incident took place around 24 km from Bhawanipatna, in Lanjigarh block, under Narla police station.
The 15-year-old girl was identified as Tapaswini Rana, a student of Madhupur Tribal residential welfare (TRW) school.On Wednesday afternoon, she was returning home from school when the two youths - Bulu Das (19) and Shyama Sahu (17) - both from the same village, passed lewd comments at her.
"Tapaswini went home and told her mother about the incident. Later her father came to know about it. The parents called the two youths home and they had an altercation," additional SP (Kalahandi), Akhyaya Kumar Das, said.
An hour later, when the girl's father went to the market and her mother went to a neighbour's place, the youths returned. They had a heated exchange with Tapaswini, who was at home, during which the boys picked up a jerry-can filled with kerosene, poured it over her and set her on fire. Her cries brought the neighbours together, who informed the police. The Narla police then took her to the district headquarters hospital in Bhawanipatna. Doctors there said she had suffered 80% burns.
However, the girl did manage to give her statement to the police, which was recorded infront of a magistrate, following which the youths were arrested. On Thursday, Tapaswini was shifted to Burla medical college as her condition worsened, a hospital source said.