Thiruvananthapuram: A 15-year-old girl belonging to a nomadic family, who set herself ablaze on Wednesday night, died at the Medical College Hospital here in the wee hours of Thursday. She was allegedly sexually abused by her uncle for several months.
The family from Delhi was living in a makeshift tent on the roadside at Thirumala in the capital city and made a living by selling chappathi stones. The accused, the brother of her father, who was arrested by Poojappura police on Thursday, was remanded in judicial custody by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court later.
The magistrate recorded the victim’s statement on Wednesday midnight. In her statement, the girl who suffered 60 percent burns, said that she had been harassed by her uncle when she was aged between five and seven. But her mother kept it a secret.
The police made her the second accused in the case registered under PoCSO Act. Charges of abetment to suicide were also been slapped on the uncle.
The incident happened when the mentally depressed girl poured kerosene over her body and set herself afire in their tent around 9 p.m. on Wednesday. She was taken to the MCI by the police who were alerted by the neighbours.
