Ayodhya, Dec 29 (IANS): The police have arrested a 19-year-old youth, who set a girl student on fire, after pouring petrol on her at Lalganj Jaisinghmau Road in Taarun police station area in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya district.

The girl sustained 20 per cent burn injuries.

The youth, who was arrested after an encounter, has been identified as Ashu, a resident of Godwa Narayanpur village of Taarun police station area.

The incident happened when the girl was on her way to college.

The accused intercepted her and poured petrol on her and set her on fire. The girl saved her life after immediately jumping into a water-filled pit on the roadside. The locals came to her rescue and she was rushed to a local government hospital from where she was referred to the district hospital and then to Trauma Centre in Lucknow.

The youth absconded after the incident.

However, on the identification of the girl, the police cordoned off the area and arrested the accused in an encounter in a nearby forest area.

A policeman Vineet received bullet injuries in the retaliatory firing. The accused also sustained bullet injury in his leg, said Ayodhya Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Atul Sonkar.