A 20 year old woman was burnt alive on Sunday in Pipda city near Jodhpur in Rajasthan for trying to save trees in her village from being chopped off.
The young woman Lalita, had allegedly objected to the cutting of the trees in her farm for the construction of a road near the village.
The incident has generated anger and shock. A revenue official is among 10 people named in an FIR or police complaint.
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Police said the incident took place Saturday evening and the woman died at a hospital yesterday, after which her brother filed a complaint with police against the sarpanch of the village and nine others.
“The dispute was over a road, my sister was opposing it…they poured petrol on her and set her on fire,” said the woman’s brother, Vidyadhar.
ANI reported that the head of the village Ranveer Singh was also involved in the incident. Petrol and other inflammable liquids were poured on the girl while she was put on fire. The body of the girl has been kept at MJH hospital of Jodhpur. The Borunda Police has registered a case in the matter and is investigating the matter.
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Police officer Suresh Chaudhary told the news agency ANI: “The sarpanch and other people poured petrol on her and burnt her alive. The body is in the mortuary. We will arrest the accused soon, after a fair investigation.”
According to NDTV, 10 people have been named in the FIR registered.
For your knowledge, The incident comes from a village near Rajasthan’s Jodhpur, the same place that witnessed the members of Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, led by Amrita Devi, laying down their lives to protect the trees of their land from being felled by the orders of the Maharaja in the early 18th century. The resistance came to be known as the ‘Chipko Movement’ some two centuries later and spread to other parts of the country.