15 May,2019 01:29 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Pic courtesy/Ashish Raje
The father of the 16-year-old girl who died in a fire outbreak on May 12, 2019, in Dadar police colony had filed a case against a police constable under the stringent Posco Act for sexually harassing his daughter six months ago. The girl was burnt to death on Sunday afternoon when a fire broke out in her flat in the police quarters. She had been locked inside the house while her parents had gone to attend a wedding in Thane. The fire brigade had recovered a bottle of suspected kerosene in the flat and is not ruling out the possibility of suicide.
Officials looking into the case stated the girl studying in Class 9 student in a convent school, was at home alone when the police constable working with the motor transport department, allegedly molested her. Her father who is a head constable lodged a complaint against the offender and the police arrested him under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act. According to TOI, once the accused was released on bail, he again started harassing the girl, following which her father lodged a non cognisable complaint. After the complaint, the motor transport department suspended the offender and made sure he vacated his allotted room in the colony.
According to an officer, "The family is still in grief, so we have not disturbed them. Once they come to grips, we will record their statement." The investigation focuses on as to why the family locked the door from outside leaving the girl alone at home which possibly ensured that she could not escape or be saved. After preliminary inquiries, the investigation team suspects the girl committed suicide but are still unable to find out a motive. Her skin samples have been at the Forensic Science Laboratory for chemical analysis to find out whether she poured kerosene on herself. The fire brigade had found her body in the hall and recovered a plastic bottle near her body which smelt like kerosene.
Also Read: Watch Video: Fire breaks out in Dadar; 10-year-old girl dies, 1 injured
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