The 24-year-old woman lecturer, who was set ablaze by a stalker in Hinanghat town of Wardha district of Maharashtra, died on Monday.
Tension prevailed in the Hinganghat town of Vidarbha region as agitated mob resorted to stone pelting, for which local police had to undertake a lathi charge.
Additional force has been sent to Darode, the village of the victim, in Hinghanghat. There was an impromptu shutdown in Darode and parts of Hunganghat township, that had been praying for the recovery of the girl.
The Maharashtra goverment assured that the case would be tried in a fast-track court even as a team would visit Andhra Pradesh and study the Disha Law, that envisages the completion of investigation in 7 days and trial in 14 working days, where there is adequate conclusive evidence, and reducing total judgement time to 21 days.
On 3 February, Ankita Pissude, suffered 30 to 40 per cent burns after a jilted lover, Vikesh alias Vicky Nagrale (27), poured petrol on her and set her afire.
She was initially taken to the Primary Health Centre at Hinganghat, was laater shifted to Nagpur-based Orange City Hospital & Research Institute, where she was battling for her life.
The victim was a part-time lecturer with the Matoshree Ashatai Kumawar Mahaila Mahavidyalaya. She was a post-graduate in Botany and was pursuing Bachelor of Education. The accused is a married man and has a kid. Both had known each other but did not have good relations over the last few years.
"I will ensure that she gets justice," Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said.
Wardha collector and district magistrate Vivek Bhimanwar and Superindent of Police Basavraj Teli are in constant touch with Mantralaya, the state secretariat in Mumbai.
"It is unfortunate that she passed away today. We tried our best to save her, but could not. Best of doctors from Nagpur and Mumbai attended on her," state home minister Anil Deshmukh said.
He said that the case would be held in fast-track and veteran criminal lawyer Ujjwal Nikam would be named the special public prosecutor. "He is already in touch with Wardha collector and superintendent of police," he said.
The Home Minister also assured that the victim's brother would be given a government job.
"She had deep burn injuries over scalp, face, right upper limb, left hand, upper back, full neck, occular involvement with severe inhalational injury. She underwent tracheostomy, burn dressings, debridement’s and escharectomies. Her provisional Diagnosis is 35-40% Grade III deep dermal burns with respiratory distress with inhalational injury with related complications," the Orange City Hospital said in a statement.