Dalit girl gang-raped, set afire in UP; two arrested

A Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped and set on fire by two men here, police said on Saturday.

The 16-year-old girl is undergoing treatment at the district hospital and is in a "serious condition", Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar Prabhu said.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said, adding the accused first raped the girl and then tried to kill her by setting her afire after pouring diesel on her.

The incident took place in the Madhav Tanda area of the district on September 7, the police said. However, it came to light when a video, wherein the victim is narrating her ordeal, went viral on Saturday.

Prabhu told reporters that the girl with burn injuries was admitted to the hospital on September 7.

He said on the complaint of the girl's family, a case was registered against the two accused persons on Saturday night under the Indian Penal Code, the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Schedule Castes/Schedule Tribes Act.

The matter is being thoroughly investigated and both the arrested accused are being questioned, he said.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) Yogesh Kumar has recorded the statement of the minor girl, the police officer said.