Insight Bureau: On August 28, Ankita Singh (19), a Class 12 student from Dumka, Jharkhand, who aspired to be a police officer, departed from this ruthless world.
Her dreams were shattered on an absolutely tragic night on August 23 as she was burnt alive by her alleged stalker, Shahrukh. She died of her burn injuries in the early hours of Sunday.
Ankita’s family faced economic difficulties after losing her mother to cancer when she was just a kid, as they were compelled to sell their land and property to pay for her mother’s treatment.
As per sources, her father’s earnings was Rs 200, and because of these circumstances, Ankita tutored students and earned Rs 1,000 per month.
In her police statement following the horrific incident, she stated that the accused had threatened to murder her if she did not speak to him. Shahrukh has been taken into custody by the Jharkhand Police, and an image of the accused has supposedly been harshly criticized. A handcuffed accused person was seen grinning after being apprehended by police in the image.
On August 29, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren officially confirmed an ex gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to Ankita’s next of kin. After the announcement, Ankita’s father stated that if the chief minister had given the amount while she was still alive, his daughter could have been saved. According to him, the money could have been used to better treat Ankita.
In a significant development in the Ankita murder case in Dumka, Jharkhand police arrested and jailed the second accused. Dumka SP Amber Lakra made a comment on the arrest, saying, “The second accused in the Ankita murder case, Naeem alias Chhotu Khan, has been arrested by police. He was locked up after being presented in Dumka court.” Meanwhile, Section 144 has been imposed in Dumka which prohibits the gathering of four or more people in the concerned area.
Former Chief Minister of the State Raghubar Das slammed out at the government over the incident, saying, “The way that boy broke into the girl’s house, poured fuel on her, and set her ablaze is extremely shameful for Jharkhand. Since Hemant Soren became Chief Minister, there have been thousands of crimes against women in Jharkhand. There are cases of love jihad among the tribal population as well. People from Bangladesh are invading the country, marrying innocent tribal girls, and stealing their land.”
Chief Minister Hemant Soren condemned the incident, saying, “Such people should not be forgiven, but should face the harshest penalties. Laws should be enacted to strengthen the existing laws against such incidents.”