A 15-year-old girl from Puri, Odisha, who was allegedly set ablaze by three unidentified men on 19 July, succumbed to her injuries on Saturday at AIIMS New Delhi.
The girl had suffered 75% burn injuries and was airlifted a day after the attack for advanced treatment.
The class 10 student was allegedly kidnapped by three bike-borne men in Bayaber village. She was rendered unconscious before being set on fire. The incident took place on the Bhargavi riverbed.
Despite her injuries, the girl managed to escape and took shelter in a nearby house. She was initially admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar and later shifted to Delhi, where she underwent skin grafting and immunoglobulin therapy to fight infection.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief in a post on the social media platform.
Taking to X, he posted, “I am deeply shocked to hear the news of the death of the girl victim in the Balangir incident. Despite all the efforts of the government and the round-the-clock endeavours of the specialist medical team at AIIMS Delhi, her life could not be saved.”
“I pray for the eternal peace of the girl’s soul and beseech God to grant strength to her family to bear this irreparable loss,” the post added.
Meanwhile, opposition parties, including the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress, criticised the BJP-led government over rising crimes against women.
Former CM Naveen Patnaik called the incident a ‘systemic failure of governance’.
Balanga police had earlier detained eight people, including the girl’s relatives, but released them after questioning. Investigators are yet to confirm the motive behind the attack.
“The investigation into the case is now in its final stages,” said a senior officer. “All legal aspects are being thoroughly examined to ensure justice is served.”
The Odisha girl set ablaze case comes just weeks after a similar tragic incident in Balasore. A 20-year-old college student died following a self-immolation attempt over alleged sexual harassment. The two cases have raised serious concerns about women’s safety in the state.
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