Class 8 student gang raped and set ablaze dies in MP

Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), Dec 14 (IANS) A Class 8 girl, who battling for her life for a week after she was gang-raped and then set on fire, died in a hospital in this Madhya Pradesh district on Thursday, police said.

The 15-year-old victim, who had been admitted to the Medical College Hospital, succumbed to her injuries on Thursday morning, Bhangarh police station chief Ravi Bhushan Pathak told IANS.

Both the rape accused, who tried to burn her alive to conceal the crime, have been arrested.

The crime took place in Deval village of the district on December 7 when the girl was alone at home. The two youth barged in and after raping her, poured kerosene on her and set her ablaze.

The girl, who was found in a critical condition, was brought here for treatment.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh has announced Rs 2 lakh for her family.

As the girl's death came on the day Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was to be felicitated in the assembly following the passage of the bill making death sentence mandatory for rape, Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh raised questions about the safety of women in the state.

When the Chief Minister is being honoured, the last rites of the girl, who was raped and then set on fire, will be held, he said in a tweet.

According to the recently-released National Crime Record Bureau report, Madhya Pradesh leads in the crimes of rape.

The Madhya Pradesh law seeking death sentence for rapists has been passed by the assembly and sent to the President for his assent. However, during the debate on the bill, some members had expressed apprehensions that this would lead to the rapists also killing the victim to leave no evidence behind.

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