17-year-old girl raped, held captive, burnt alive in Tripura

Agartala: A 17-year-old girl in Tripura was held captive and raped for one-and-a half month and then burnt alive by her boyfriend and his mother, police said on Sunday.

The teenager, who suffered 90 per cent burns, succumbed to her injuries at the government-run Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital here, according to the police.

The incident came to light as widespread condemnation over Hyderabad and Unnao rape-murder cases rocked the nation.

The police arrested the accused Ajoy Rudrapal, 25, and his mother Anima Rudrapal, 59.

Police, quoting the victim's father, said that Ajoy kidnapped his daughter on October 28 from their home at Kalaynpur in Khowai District (in western Tripura) and took her to his (Ajoy's) home at Santir Bazar in southern Tripura.

"Ajoy often raped the girl and demanded Rs 5 lakh as dowry to marry her. Following pressure from the victim's parents, Ajoy agreed to marry the girl on December 11 after receiving first instalment of the money on Friday. But, Ajoy had a quarrel with his mother over the money, and he poured Kerosene on the victim and set her on fire," the police said.

The PTI quoted the victim's mother saying Ajoy's mother demanded an amount of Rs 50,000 from them. "She was just 17-year-old, my elder daughter... She fled with Ajoy to his house, following which we decided that their marriage be solemnised. Ajoy's mother sought Rs 50000, but we could gather only Rs 15,000. That night itself, I wanted to talk to my daughter, but he did not allow her.

"The next thing we know is that she has been admitted to a hospital with burn injuries," she said.

Angry family members and neighbours of the victim assaulted the accused Ajoy and Anima at the hospital immediately after her death.

"We are now probing the incident. The confessional statement of the victim was also recorded," the police official said.

According to the victim's neighbours, a relative of Ajoy got married to the victim's family and that's how, they first knew each other and subsequently came closer through social media and telephone conversation.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS)