In a brutal act of brutality, a 15-year-old girl was doused with petrol by three men and set on fire in Odisha’s Puri district on Friday. The attack occurred near Bayababa Temple where the girl was alone heading to meet a friend. The assailants reportedly attacked her, poured petrol on her body, and set her alight before escaping from the crime scene.
People who lived around the area and heard the girl’s screams quickly came to rescue and suffered the fire. The girl was taken to a nearby hospital immediately and later transferred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for improved care. She was confirmed to have sustained severe burns on more than 40% of her body. Her condition is stable but critical.
The attack occurred only days after a new alarming case in Odisha, where a Balasore college student immolated herself after the authorities did not act on her complaint of sexual harassment. That case had already brought into question the safety of women in the state, and now this new case has added to the furor.
There is no sign as yet that the girl had known her attackers, police said. Her family denied any existing personal conflicts or romance. The investigators are now searching for the perpetrators and the motive behind the crime.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida reacted to the incident, voicing profound concern and vowing strict action. She also reassured the family of the girl that the government would foot the entire bill for her medical expenses.
Security officials have initiated a massive manhunt to arrest the three suspects. Officials are reviewing CCTV footage and taking local eyewitness statements. The police have filed a case and assert attempts are being made to identify and arrest the suspects at the earliest.
With increasing outrage among the people, political leaders and women’s rights organizations have demanded more stringent protection for girls and prompt justice. The savage brutality of the attack and its timing, coming as it did in the wake of the Balasore self-immolation case, have fueled demands for systemic overhaul in how such crimes are investigated within the state.
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