A 15-year-old girl is battling for her life at AIIMS Bhubaneswar after being set on fire by three miscreants in Bayabar village, located in the Balanga area of Puri district, Odisha.
The attack occurred on Saturday, when the girl was on her way to a friend’s house. According to eyewitnesses, the assailants doused her with petrol, set her on fire, and fled the scene. She was rushed to AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a critical condition.
The incident has triggered fresh outrage across the state, especially in the backdrop of the recent Balasore self-immolation case, where a 20-year-old student died after setting herself ablaze over alleged inaction on her sexual harassment complaint against a college teacher.
💬 Deputy CM Responds:
Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who also handles the Women and Child Development portfolio, expressed grief and urgency on social media platform X:
“I am saddened and shocked to hear the news that some miscreants at Balanga in Puri district poured petrol on a fifteen-year-old girl on the road and set her on fire.”
Parida confirmed that all medical expenses will be covered by the state government and that the police have been instructed to arrest the culprits and take strict action without delay.
🔍 Context: Balasore Self-Immolation Case
Just days earlier, on July 12, a 20-year-old student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore set herself ablaze on campus, alleging inaction over a sexual harassment complaint against a professor. She succumbed to her injuries on July 14 at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
An assistant professor was arrested in connection with the case, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) has since dispatched a fact-finding team to Balasore.
The tragic incident led to statewide protests, with the Congress party leading an Odisha bandh to demand justice.