In the fourth such incident within a month, a 13-year-old girl allegedly set herself on fire in Odisha’s Bargarh district, police said on Monday. The girl succumbed to burn injuries at a hospital in Burla on Monday, police said.
Bolangir SP Abilash G, who is in charge of Bargarh district, said, “We are investigating the reasons behind the girl taking the extreme step. The girl succumbed to burn injuries at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla.” The SP said police have registered an unnatural death (UD) case, following complaints by her family members.
A three-member police team has been formed to probe the incident, he said, adding that police have recovered a video regarding the girl.
Northern Range IG Himanshu Lal said the girl was staying in a hostel and had come to her maternal uncle’s house, where she took this extreme step.
The minor was rescued by villagers from a football ground at Phiringmal village within Gaisilat police station limits in Bargarh district in a half-burnt condition.
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She was rushed to Bargarh district headquarters hospital and later to VIMSAR, Burla.
The latest incident follows the deaths of three other women by burning since July 12.
On that day, a 20-year-old woman student in Balasore set herself ablaze on her college campus and died at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on July 14. On July 19, a minor girl was allegedly set on fire by three miscreants in Balanga and died at AIIMS Delhi on August 2.
The third such incident took place in Kendrapara district on August 6, when a third-year undergraduate woman college student’s charred body was found in her house under Pattamundai (rural) police station area.
In another incident, Odisha Police has arrested a 26-year-old youth for allegedly abducting and raping a class 9 girl in Balasore district, officials said on Monday. According to police, the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the girl was returning home on a cycle after attending tuition.
The youth from Antara village in the district allegedly stopped the girl on the way and forcefully took her to a lonely place near Barada Ranital canal area within Simulia police station limits and raped her, police added.
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