She moved to her grandparent's residence to avoid harassment...
A 17-year-old girl was burnt alive by a 21-year-old stalker in the early hours of Monday at her grandparent's residence as she was staying there in Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh, police said adding the accused has been arrested.
“She was charred to death on the spot. The accused also suffered burn injuries. He was caught by the neighbors while trying to flee the spot and handed over to the police,” a senior officer from the Nandikotkuru police station said.
For the past few years the accused, a resident of Kalugotla village had been stalking the girl, who was from Samarlakota but she always refused his advances, according to the police. The girl, a class 12 student moved to her grandmother's residence in Nandikotkur to avoid harassment six months ago. "However, the man continues stalking her", the police confirmed.
On Monday before 1am, he came to her grandmother’s house and knocked on the door of the room the girl was in, when she opened the door, he entered the room and bolted it from the inside. “He took out a bottle of petrol and poured it on her before setting her on fire,” the officer said.
The girl’s grandmother woke up after hearing her screams and raised an alarm, but the accused did not open the door. After she was completely burnt, he came out with some burn injuries, the police said. When he attempted to flee, her grandmother and some neighbors caught him and informed the police.
“On receiving the information, we rushed to the spot and took him into custody. We have booked a case of murder and shall produce him in the court,” the officer said.
State home minister Vangalapudi Anitha expressed shock over the incident and spoke with Nandyal SP Adhirraj Singh Rana. “It is deeply distressing. I have asked the SP to fast-track the investigation and take stringent action against the accused,” Anitha said in her statement.
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