Patna, Oct. 9: An irate mob today burnt alive an 18-year-old girl at Bijrauli Noonfar village under Mahua sub-division in Vaishali district after the henchmen of her father assaulted a villager for allegedly backing her uncle over a property dispute.

The mob first set ablaze the houses of the victim’s father and uncle. Then, Gunjan Kumari was pushed into the inferno.

Gunjan’s mother and younger sister tried to rescue her, but in vain. They also suffered burn injuries.

The ghastly incident occurred in retaliation to the assault on the villager, Harisudan Choudhary. He had played the role of an arbitrator in a property dispute between Gunjan’s father Harendra Singh and uncle Suresh Singh.

Police said the henchmen of Harendra brutally assaulted Harisudan around 10am alleging that he had sided with Suresh.

The news of assault on Harisudan by the close associates of one of the two brothers fighting over property spread like wildfire. People belonging to a particular caste rushed to the houses of the two brothers and set them on fire around 2pm.

The two brothers were beaten up by the mob but they managed to escape. Subsequently the mob threw Gunjan into the flames, leading to her instant death.

“The girl was burnt alive by the mob while the members of the other community watched the horrifying scene as mute spectators,” a police officer said.

Though the incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Tisiauta police station, a team from Jandaha police station first rushed to the spot because of its proximity to Bijrauli Noonfar village, around 60km north-east from here. But the cops had to leave as the mob tried to manhandle them.

Unable to bring the situation under control, Jandaha cops informed the district police headquarters about the incident. Subsequently, the district magistrate and the superintendent of police rushed to the spot with reinforcements.

The male members of the village abandoned their houses by then apprehending arrest. Additional armed police forces have been deployed at the village.

Deputy inspector-general of police (Tirhut range) Bacchu Singh Meena told The Telegraph over phone that instructions had been issued to the Vaishali superintendent of police to probe into the lapses on the part of the police personnel posted at the Tisiauta police station and restore peace at the village.

“It should be probed as to why the people became so furious,” he said, adding that legal action should be taken against the perpetrators of crime. The DIG said the offenders would not be spared.

Claiming that he was not in the village when Gunjan was burnt alive, the head of Bijrauli panchayat, Nagendra Sah, denied the allegation that the decision to set the houses of the two brothers afire was taken by the panchayat members.

“The two brothers — Harendra and Suresh — have settled at their in-laws’ houses. The wives of the two brothers are sisters,” he said.

Sources said the trouble erupted after Suresh got a plot of land registered in his name. “This sparked rift between the two brothers and their wives. FIRs were also lodged with Tisiauta police station in this regard. But no action was taken,” a villager said.

The residents of the village said the high voltage drama continued for almost three hours but the police reached the spot only when the girl was thrown into the flames.