After battling for her life for a fortnight at AIIMS-Delhi, a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly set ablaze in broad daylight on 19 July by three motorcycle-borne miscreants in a village in Odisha’s Puri district succumbed to her injuries at 6:22 PM on Saturday.
Chief Minister Mohan Majhi expressed deep condolences over the tragic death of the minor girl under such horrifying circumstances.
“I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of the girl victim in the Balanga incident. Despite all efforts of the government and round-the-clock medical attention provided by the expert medical team at AIIMS Delhi, her life could not be saved. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed soul and strength to her family to bear this irreparable loss,” the Chief Minister wrote on his X handle.
The horrific crime took place on a deserted stretch of the Haripur-Balanga Road near Bayabar village, under the jurisdiction of the Balanga Police Station, on 19 July.
The miscreants allegedly gagged the victim with a handkerchief and dragged her to the crime spot. They then poured an inflammable substance on her and set her on fire. Wearing masks, the attackers fled swiftly as the burning girl ran for help.
Days after the brutal incident, the investigating agency is still groping in the dark, struggling to identify those responsible for the heinous act.
Although the State Crime Branch has taken over the investigation, no breakthrough has been achieved so far. The victim succumbed to her burn injuries on Saturday.
This shocking case follows closely on the heels of another disturbing incident, in which an undergraduate student of Balasore’s FM College died by self-immolation after her complaint of sexual harassment by a teacher allegedly went unaddressed by government authorities.
The horrifying nature of both incidents exposes the grim reality that the state is increasingly becoming unsafe for women and girls.
Weak law enforcement has virtually emboldened criminals to target fresh victims with impunity, commented Rabi Narayan Paraminik, a retired government official from Bhubaneswar.