Rajasthan Woman Dies After Being Raped and Set on Fire; Accused Arrested and Charged with Murder and Rape

A 30-year-old woman was allegedly raped and set on fire in Rajasthan's Barmer district. The accused was arrested and charged with murder, rape, and other offenses. The victim died during treatment at a hospital in Jodhpur.

Rajasthan Woman Dies After Being Raped and Set on Fire; Accused Arrested and Charged with Murder and Rape
Rajasthan Woman Dies After Being Raped and Set on Fire; Accused Arrested and Charged with Murder and Rape

Swarajya Times , Jaipur : A woman in Rajasthan’s Barmer district was allegedly raped and set on fire by a man, and died while receiving treatment at a government hospital in Jodhpur. Police have arrested the accused who had been absconding. According to the FIR lodged by the woman’s husband, the accused, identified as Shakur Khan, broke into their house while she was alone and raped her. When a neighbor reached the spot upon hearing her cries, the accused poured acid-like chemical on the victim, set her on fire, and fled. The woman suffered 40-50% burn injuries and was admitted to a government hospital in Balotra, then later referred to Jodhpur. The police have registered a case under various IPC sections and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The accused, Shakur Khan, belongs to the same village as the victim and was arrested late on Friday night. The family members of the victim reportedly approached the police around 1:30 AM on Thursday, but the police initially avoided filing an FIR. However, the FIR was lodged in the wee hours of Friday after the case became critical. The woman, who was a mother of two, died while receiving treatment. The police have added Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the IPC in the FIR and the body will be handed over to the family members after getting the autopsy done.

The incident has sparked outrage, with politicians condemning the crime and the law and order situation in the state. Union minister of agriculture and farmers welfare, Kailash Choudhary, condemned the incident and called it a black spot on Rajasthan. He alleged that the current state government has turned a blind eye to the law and order situation.


Meanwhile, Nagaur MP and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) leader Hanuman Beniwal demanded the strictest legal action against the accused and said that such acts indicate that there is no fear of law among the criminals.