Odisha: 15-year-old girl set on fire by three men in Puri district
The girl has suffered 70% to 75% burn injuries and her condition is stable, Executive Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar Dr Ashutosh Biswas told The New Indian Express.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday said that the girl has been airlifted to AIIMS, Delhi for ' the best possible treatment ', adding that the state government would ensure all necessary support to the teenager.
A preliminary investigation found that three persons on a motorcycle allegedly intercepted her at an isolated spot, tied a handkerchief around her face, doused her with a flammable substance and set her on fire before fleeing, The Indian Express quoted the police as saying.
Locals took her to Pipili hospital in Puri, from where she was shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.
A special team has been formed to investigate the case, Deputy Inspector General of Police Pinak Mishra told The Indian Express.
'We will record the victim's statement once her condition improves,' the newspaper quoted Mishra as saying. 'The police have been taking information from her friends, relatives and other locals.'
He added that a few persons have been detained for questioning, The Hindu reported.
The incident comes almost a week after an undergraduate student set herself on fire on July 12 after her complaint of sexual harassment by a faculty member in Balasore district allegedly went unaddressed.
She died of her injuries on July 14.
Opposition slams state government
Opposition leaders have condemned the incident, saying that it points to a 'deep systemic failure of governance' in the Bharatiya-Janata Party-ruled state.
Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that he was 'deeply anguished' by the attack and claimed that such 'unthinkable' acts against women were now being reported almost daily in Odisha.
Referring also to the recent case in Balasore, where an undergraduate student died after setting herself on fire, the Biju Janata Dal leader said these were not 'stray' incidents.
'These incidents occurring with shocking regularity point to a deep systemic failure of governance,' he said on X. 'It shows that criminals have become emboldened under the present government and are not worried about being punished.'
Patnaik also claimed that Odisha was becoming increasingly unsafe for women.
Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das alleged that the BJP government and the state administration had become ' mere spectators ', while such incidents are occurring repeatedly, The Hindu reported.
'Girl students and women are unsafe in the state,' Das claimed. 'Criminals no longer fear the government, administration and police…Yet, the BJP government, utterly insensitive, continues to beat the drum of good governance.'
His party colleague, KC Venugopal, said that another 'horrific' crime had come to light while Odisha was still reeling under the shock of the Balasore incident.
'How deep must the systemic rot in the police system be for criminals to set a girl on fire in broad daylight with such impunity?' he asked on X. 'With every passing hour, Odisha is becoming an even more unsafe place for women.'
While Odisha is still reeling under the shock of the Balasore incident, another horrific crime has come to light. How deep must the systemic rot in the police system be for criminals to set a girl on fire in broad daylight with such impunity?
With every passing hour, Odisha is…
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) July 19, 2025
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