A 20-year-old woman died during treatment at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi after allegedly attempting self-immolation at a police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor, where she had gone seeking action against a man she accused of refusing to marry her after an alleged sexual assault, officials said on Tuesday.
The incident took place around 11 pm on June 21. Police said she was rescued by personnel at the station and taken to hospital before being shifted to Safdarjung Hospital, where she died on Monday. Following the incident, Kotwali in-charge Amar Singh Rathore has been suspended.
According to police, the woman had filed a case in 2024 against Saurabh Singh, a resident of Swaheri village, and his family members under rape-related charges, after which a report was submitted in the matter. She later filed another complaint in 2025, alleging that Singh had established a relationship with her and then refused to marry her. Police said they later filed a chargesheet in the case, while the accused obtained a stay from the high court against his arrest.
Police said that on the day of the incident, the woman came to the Kotwali police station and insisted that the accused be called for a discussion. She was told that the other side would be summoned the next day. During this time, her stepfather allegedly brought a bottle containing an inflammable substance, which she used to set herself on fire inside the police station premises.
In a police complaint, the woman’s mother alleged that the man’s family had been mentally harassing her daughter after she filed the case. Additional Superintendent of Police Krishna Gopal Singh said Saurabh and his brother Gaurav are currently stationed in the army in Kashmir, and a police team has been sent to catch them in connection with the case.
The case now centres on the woman’s death after the self-immolation attempt, the allegations she had made in the two complaints, and the police action that has followed.
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Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jun 30, 2026 16:56 IST
