Update In Kurnool Blaze Case: Accused Was Arrested Immediately, Says Police

With respect to a news report in these columns yesterday (2 February 2019) on a minor girl being reportedly set afire by a man named Mohiddin Saab, the Kurnool police have, in a clarification, stated that the accused was ‘arrested immediately’, and is not on the run.

The Story

A minor girl was, as per a report in The Hindu, set ablaze by a man aged 32 for reportedly rejecting his advances.

The accused has been identified by the Kurnool police as Mohiddin Saab. The incident is said to have occurred on 26 January 2019. The accused is believed to have poured kerosene on the girl, enraged by the fact that she did not respond to his advances. The victim has reportedly suffered 60 to 70 per cent burns, and is undergoing treatment at the Kurnool Government General Hospital.

A sexual harassment and attempt-to-murder case has been registered against the accused at Kowthalam PS (Kurnool district) under various sections of the law including Section 12 of the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) 2012 and the SC-ST (POA) Amendment Act 2015, as per the police press note released yesterday (2 February 2019).

The police clarification says that the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Adoni investigated and recorded the victim’s statement in the presence of women officers, and remanded the accused into judicial custody for 15 days.