Man accused of raping minor burnt alive in Ghaziabad

A man accused of raping an eight-year-old girl was allegedly burnt alive by his neighbours in Loni, Ghaziabad, on Friday night. Police rushed both the accused - 24-year-old Jitendra - and the victim to the hospital. While the girl was admitted for treatment, doctors declared her alleged attacker dead on arrival.

Police said Jitendra had gone to attend a religious ceremony in the neighbourhood with his wife around 12.30 pm on Friday. After dropping her off at the venue, he brought the girl back home with him and allegedly raped her. "Neighbours caught hold of Jitendra after they noticed the child running out of his residence in tears," a police officer said, adding that they received a tip-off only after the accused was set on fire. Superintendent of police (Ghaziabad rural) AK Maurya said Jitendra was in an intoxicated state at the time of the incident. "We took him to the hospital as fast as we could, but he had already succumbed to his injuries by then," he added. The girl's relatives have filed a police complaint.