Another minor girl dies in suspected self-immolation in Bargarh district
Bhubaneswar, Aug 11 (UNI) In yet another incident of suspected self-immolation, the fourth in the past month in Odisha, a 13-year-old girl from Phiringia in Bargarh district succumbed to burns at the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research (VIMSAR), Burla, today.
Police are yet to ascertain whether the girl set herself on fire or was deliberately set ablaze. The case took a grim turn after an audio clip surfaced in which the girl was heard pleading for help and accusing another girl of setting her on fire.
The victim, a Class VIII student of a residential school in Paikmal block, was rescued by villagers from a football ground near Phiringia village under Gaisilat block, with nearly 80 per cent burns. She was rushed to VIMSAR, where she died a few hours after admission.
The Bargarh police have formed a three-member investigation team to probe the incident. Officers recovered a matchbox and petrol from the scene.
IGP (Northern Range) Himanshu Lal told reporters that police are investigating all possible angles, including the reason behind the suspected self-immolation.
He said it is still unclear whether the girl acted alone or was attacked, and that villagers who rescued her are being interrogated.
This is the fourth case of self-immolation involving girls, including two minors, reported in Odisha over the past month. On July 12 in Balasore, FM College student Somyoshree Bisi attempted self-immolation on campus and succumbed to over 90 per cent burns at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on July 14.
On July 19 in Puri, a 15-year-old school dropout from Balanga village set herself ablaze; she was airlifted to AIIMS Delhi for treatment but died on August 2.
On August 6 in Kendrapara, a third-year Pattamundai College student allegedly set herself on fire at home while her parents were away and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
Police arrested four people, including the college principal, an assistant professor, and two students, in the FM College girl self-immolation case, while the boyfriend of a Pattamundai College girl was arrested for abetting the girl to take the extreme step to end her life.
In the Balanga case, police have not made any arrests, stating that there was no evidence to support the victim’s earlier claim that unknown miscreants set her ablaze.
These incidents have sparked political outrage, with the Opposition BJD and Congress blaming the BJP-led government under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for rising atrocities against women and a spate of self-immolation cases during its 14-month rule.
