Kendrapara girl self-immolation case: NHRC takes suo motu cognizance, seeks report from DGP

Bhubaneswar, August 20: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of the reported death of a girl due to self-immolation in Kendrapara district after alleged police inaction against her former male friend threatening to upload her obscene photos on social media.

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“The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that on 6th August, 2025, a 19-year-old girl immolated herself in Odisha's Kendrapara district amid allegations of police inaction for nearly six months on the complaint about a former male friend blackmailing her. Reportedly, he was threatening to post her obscene photos and videos on social media,” said a NHRC communiqué.

The young woman’s charred body was discovered on the staircase of her home on August 6. Her father alleged that her former boyfriend had circulated their intimate videos online, forcing her to take her own life. 

Meanwhile, police have arrested a man for allegedly abetting the suicide and sexually harassing a 19-year-old woman.

“The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights. Therefore, it has issued a notice to the Director General of Police, Odisha, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks, including the status of the investigation,” it stated.

According to the media report, carried on August 7, the girl was studying at a College in Kendrapara district. Her father alleged that she was being regularly blackmailed by a former male friend. 

A complaint in this regard was given to the police by the father of the victim about six months back, but neither an FIR was registered nor any action was taken against the alleged perpetrator. Rather, a police officer reportedly discouraged him from pursuing the matter and suggested blocking the phone number of the blackmailer.