Kendrapada: In a tragic incident, another young woman was allegedly burnt alive under mysterious circumstances inside her house at a village in Odisha’s Kendrapada district on Wednesday.
As per preliminary information, the shocking incident took place at Kathiapada village under Pattamundai block of the district. The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear, sparking concerns of foul play.
The deceased, a Plus III final-year student at Pattamundai College, reportedly died in the fire under mysterious circumstances. Efforts to save her failed to yield any result as it was already too late when the family members noticed the scene as they were away when the incident took place. The girl reportedly died on the spot.
While it was still unclear whether the incident was a case of murder or suicide, the victim’s family suspects foul play. Her father has alleged that someone had been blackmailing his daughter, which may have led to the incident. Stating that the girl was in an affair with a youth earlier, the family members claimed that the youth had been harassing her by sending her nude photos and videos.
It was alleged that though the young woman had approached the police over blackmailing, there was lukewarm response. The police reportedly advised the victim to block the phone number from which threat calls were being received. Little action was taken by the police to probe the complaint, locals alleged.
Taking a serious view of the incident, Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania directed Kendrapada Superintendent of Police (SP) to rush to the site and ensure prompt investigation. He also sought detailed information about the incident and steps taken earlier in the matter.
After getting information about the incident, Pattamundai police rushed to the spot and launched an investigation. Further details are awaited.
This is the third self-immolation case in Odisha in last one month. Earlier, the self-immolation by a student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore and a 15-year-old girl in Balanga area of Puri district had triggered widespread outrage.
