Odisha teen’s body to be airlifted back to her native place

The body of the 15-year-old girl, who sustained 75 per cent burn injuries after allegedly being set ablaze by unidentified assailants in Odisha’s Balanga on July 19 and died at AIIMS on Saturday, was handed over to the family after completing autopsy procedures at the hospital. Her body would be airlifted back to her native place in Odisha.

Speaking to a news agency, her father, Himmat Ali, said, “I don’t want to point fingers at anyone. Everyone prayed for my daughter, irrespective of their religion. I am not upset with anyone. My daughter was not part of my destiny. I don’t want to blame anyone.”

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“I request you to please keep me and my family away from politics. Everything was fine until she was at home with us. I don’t know how this happened,” he added.

Her uncle stated, “God has taken her away from us; we cannot blame anyone now. The government has helped us a lot, along with the doctors and hospital staff. Everyone has done their job perfectly; we don’t have a problem with anyone. Her father has slipped into depression and is not in a state to speak.”

Meanwhile, her brother said, “We cannot even express the extent of our grief. She was a vibrant 15-year-old girl but struggled immensely; she stayed in the hospital for 14 days. We always had hope that, even though recovery would take time, she would be fine and come home.”

“Yesterday morning, we were told she was talking and doing fine. We don’t know what happened in the afternoon; she was in a lot of discomfort and was put on a ventilator. By the evening, we had lost her,” he added.

The incident came to light on July 19, when the girl was returning home after meeting a friend and was intercepted by unknown men near the banks of the Bhargavi River.

According to her mother’s statement, her daughter was allegedly kidnapped by the men, who poured an inflammable substance on her and set her ablaze.

A villager, an eyewitness to the horrific scene, said, “I heard her crying and managed to douse the flames.”

“Before being admitted to the nearby hospital, she named three men who attacked her,” he added.

The victim was initially taken to the Pipili Community Health Centre and later shifted to AIIMS in Bhubaneswar.

Due to the severity of her burns, she was airlifted to AIIMS in Delhi the next day, where she underwent multiple surgeries and skin grafting.

The police recorded her statement in the presence of a magistrate just a day before her passing.

Despite the survivor’s statement and the eyewitness’s account, Odisha Police have maintained that no third-party involvement has been found during their investigation.

The incident follows the recent death of a 20-year-old college student who set herself on fire after being sexually harassed.