A 17-year-old girl who was set on fire after being raped in eastern India is fighting for her life in a hospital with more than 50 percent of her body covered in burns, according to health officials.
The teenager was attacked Friday after a 16-year-old girl was raped and burned to death in the same state, Jharkhand.
Police arrested a 19-year-old man from the same village as the 17-year-old girl. He reportedly poured kerosene on the girl and set her alight after she tried to resist him.
Four men allegedly kidnapped and raped the 16-year-old girl last week. The following day, her parents reported the attack to the village council, who imposed a fine on the men. Officials say the men were so enraged by the fine of some $750 that they set the girl’s house on fire when she was inside, killing her.
The two cases have further shone a spotlight on rape in India, furthering debate and outrage in the country, particularly following the recent gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in the northern state of Jammu.
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