Woman who set herself ablaze outside India’s Supreme Court alleging rape by parliamentarian, dies

The victim had alleged that Mr Rai’s family and associates have been repeatedly harassing her

The Supreme Court of India (AFP/Getty)

A 24-year-old woman from India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, who had accused a lawmaker of rape, succumbed at a Delhi hospital, a week after she set herself ablaze outside the apex court.

The deceased and her male companion had set themselves on fire outside the gates of the Supreme Court, alleging that the police were working for rape-accused jailed lawmaker Atul Rai.

"The woman succumbed to her injuries during the course of treatment on Tuesday,” Deepak Yadav, deputy commissioner of police told news agency PTI.

While the woman was rushed to a hospital with 85 per cent burns, the 27-year-old man with 65 per cent burns succumbed on Saturday.

In 2019, the woman had filed a case against the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) lawmaker alleging that he had raped her at his residence in the northern city of Varanasi. A month later, Mr Rai surrendered to the police and has been in prison since.

Mr Rai's brother Pawan Kumar in 2020 filed a forgery case against the woman. Mr Kumar accused her of forging documents to hide her date of birth while filing the complaint.

Earlier this month, a court issued a non-bailable warrant against the woman after local police claimed that she was untraceable.

The victim had alleged that Mr Rai's family and associates have been repeatedly harassing her over the years. Prior to the suicide bid on 16 August, the woman, in a Facebook live, accused the Uttar Pradesh police of working at the behest of Mr Rai, NDTV reported.

"The destination they wanted us in, we have reached it. The efforts they have made for the past two years, we have come here to fulfil their goal," she said in the video. Her friend was then seen saying, "they have been compelling us since November 2020 to die. We want all you, the people of Uttar Pradesh and the country, to hear this."

Following the immolation incident, two Varanasi police officers probing the forgery case against the woman were suspended from duty.

The body of the woman was handed over to her family after a post-mortem and her last rights were conducted at national capital Delhi’s Nigambodh ghat.