In a chilling incident, a 15-year-old girl was reportedly set ablaze by three unknown men in Puri district of Odisha on Saturday. The incident shocked the state, coming as it did just a few days after the fatal self-immolation of a Balasore college student, which outraged the state.
The teenager girl has received critical burn injuries and was taken to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where her condition is critical, officials quoted by PTI have said.
Girl Set on Fire on Road
The dastardly attack occurred in Bayabar village while the victim was traveling to see a friend. According to eyewitnesses cited in the report, three miscreants accosted the girl, doused her with petrol and torched her before disappearing from the scene. A manhunt has been initiated to track the accused.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who also serves as the Head of the Women and Child Development Department, referred to the incident in a tweet on X (formerly Twitter).
“I am pained and shocked by the news of some miscreants at Balanga in Puri district dousing a fifteen-year-old girl on the road with petrol and burning her,” Parida said.
He further mentioned that the state government has taken prompt action to arrange for her treatment.
“The girl has been shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar immediately, and all necessary arrangements are being done for her treatment. All the treatment costs will be covered by the government. Police administration has been instructed to arrest the culprits at once and take strong action,” he guaranteed.
Balasore Student’s Self-Immolation Case
The Puri incident follows shortly after a comparable tragedy at Balasore, when a 20-year-old student at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College immolated herself on July 12, reportedly enraged by inaction over sexual harassment charges she made against a teacher. She died from her burns on July 14 at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
After her death, an assistant professor was arrested, and a University Grants Commission (UGC) fact-finding committee paid a visit to the college on Friday to probe the circumstances of the incident.
Statewide protests were evoked by the incident, with the opposition parties, headed by the Congress, demanding an Odisha bandh earlier in the week, seeking justice and responsibility in the case.
