Bhubaneswar, July 19: In a harrowing case from Balanga in Puri district, a 15-year-old girl was abducted and set on fire by some unidentified miscreants. She is now battling for her life at AIIMS Bhubaneswar with 70% burn injuries. Her cousin, who rushed to her side, shared a chilling account of the events.
“Around 8:30 in the morning, she was going to meet her friend,” he said, recounting the moments before the tragedy.
“Midway, she was taken by some people, dragged to a riverside, and set on fire,” he said.
Despite the severe burns, the girl managed to escape and reach a nearby house.
“She somehow returned from there, completely burnt. She reached someone’s home and they gave her clothes and called us. That’s when I got there,” the cousin continued, his voice heavy with emotion.
“I picked her up and rushed her to the hospital. From there, they referred her to AIIMS.”
The family has lodged a complaint with the police.
“We don’t know who did this. She saw them, and once she’s able to speak properly, she might be able to identify them. Right now, the doctors have told us that her condition is critical but have asked us to stay hopeful,” he said.
The family is demanding the strictest punishment.
“We want the death penalty for the ones who did this to her,” he said.
Meanwhile, police have launched an investigation into the incident, but no arrests have been made so far.
