Beed rape victim dies after a week's struggle for life

The 17-year-old girl, who set herself afire after being allegedly raped by her father's former employer, died in a hospital here today after battling for life for over a week.

District civil surgeon DB Pawar said that the girl, admitted to Civil Hospital on April 10, breathed her last this morning here in central Maharashtra.

The victim's father used to work at a farm of the prime accused Babulal Rasal. He had borrowed some money from Rasal, a former Deputy Sarpanch of Churmapuri village who is considered close to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

On April 4, Rasal and his accomplice Narayan Kale allegedly abducted the girl and raped her for a week, taking her to lodges in various cities, according to the police.

On April 10, the accused dropped the girl at her Rampur village. She did not reveal anything to family members about the incident, but on the same day tried to end life by pouring kerosene and setting herself ablaze, police said.

She suffered 95% burn injuries and was admitted to the hospital.

The news of her death created tension in various parts of the district though no untoward incident had been reported.

Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe had earlier visited the victim and her family and demanded a CID probe into the incident. Yesterday, senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, who is Lok Sabha MP from Beed, and his daughter Pankaja Palve met the teenager in the hospital.

A group of women threw eggs and tomatoes on both the accused when they were being produced before a local court yesterday.