An 18-year-old woman was set ablaze today by a man after she was allegedly raped last night in Chatra district, police said...

An 18-year-old woman was set ablaze today by a man after she was allegedly raped last night in Chatra district, police said. The woman is battling for life at a hospital with 98 per cent burns. The accused is on the run. The rape accused, along with his friends, stormed into the house of the woman in Raja Tendua Tola area and assaulted her parents before allegedly setting her on fire, police said. The woman's family lodged a complaint with the local panchayat about the incident. A panchayat was convened today in the village and a fine of Rs 30,000 was imposed on the accused. The panchayat had also ordered the accused to do 100 sit-ups before it, police sources said.

However, the accused refused to obey the panchayat directive and instead barged into the house of the woman, along with his friends, the sources said. A police team rushed to the spot and took the woman to a hospital. Asked if the woman was in a relationship with the accused, police said they were investigating the case from all angles. A case has been registered and a hunt has been launched to apprehend the culprit, the sources added.