In two of the latest incidents of women in Bihar facing sexual attacks, three young men tried to burn a college girl to death after failing to gangrape her while another girl committed suicide after facing constant sexual harassment from a local youth.
Doctors at the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) were on Friday trying to save the life of Jyoti Kumari (name changed), a 22-year-old college student at Biharsharif in Nalanda district, who sustained nearly 70 per cent burn injuries following a failed gangrape bid on her on Thursday.
“When the boys failed to outrage my modesty, they turned on the LPG cylinder and lit a match before going out of the room and bolting the doors from outside,” said the post-graduation student. She was rescued by local residents who heard her screaming in the middle of the flames and rushed to the hostel room.
She was admitted at the Biharsharif Sadar Hospital, but doctors referred her to PMCH. DSP Mohammad Qasim said Jyoti, a farmer’s daughter, named three boys — Vicky, Vivek and Manu, along with a girl Suman Kumari — in her complaint. Vicky is said to be Jyoti’s boyfriend.
In another incident, a 15-year-old student of ninth class in Masaurhi near Patna, hanged herself with her dupatta on Thursday allegedly after failing to bear the repeated sexual harassment efforts by Ranjan Kumar, the son of her landlord.
When her mother, Gita Devi, was away from home, Kumar allegedly came and tried to outrage her modesty.