[Watch] Balanga Burn Victim Laid To Rest In Native Village Amid Tight Security

Puri: A pall of gloom engulfed Balanga in Odisha’s Puri district as a 15-year-old girl, who succumbed to burns at AIIMS-Delhi on August 2 evening after allegedly being set on fire by 3 men, was laid to rest at her ancestral village, Bayabar,

She was buried in the village cemetery in accordance with Islamic customs in the presence of mourning family and relatives. Three police platoons were deployed to maintain order as grief overwhelmed the village.

Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who is the MLA of Nimapara Assembly constituency, and Pipli MLA Ashrit Patnaik stood alongside the grieving family and pay their last respects to the deceased.

“… For the last 15 days, the government is consecutively doing what it was supposed to. We tried very hard to save her. Medicines were brought in from abroad, she was airlifted to Delhi for treatment within 24 hours, and even today, the government stands with her family. The government will fulfil all their requirements. A poor family that has lost their daughter are appealing to everyone to let them live peacefully. I request everyone in the state not to bother them and help the family if they can… I am ready to give 100 such resignations which can revive a dead person, but I do not like it if anyone is doing politics over this poor girl who is no more…,” Parida told ANI.

The mortal remains of the girl arrived at Biju Patnaik International Airport around 10.50 pm on Sunday. The Deputy CM was also seen at the airport consoling the family members of the victim. Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Pipili MLA Ashrit Pattnayak and Ekamra MLA Babu Singh were also present.

The body of the girl was taken from the national capital by a service flight after the post-mortem examination at the AIIMS-Delhi was conducted earlier in the day.

Initially, three men were believed to abducted the girl while she was on her way to a relative’s place and set her on fire near the Bhargabi riverbank. Even the girl’s mother lodged an FIR alleging the same.

She was admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar with 75% burn injuries on July 19 and airlifted to AIIMS Delhi a day later. She, however, succumbed after a 14-day battle for life.

However, hours after the teenager’s death, police claimed that no other person was involved in the incident and the victim’s father also released a video, claiming she ended her life due to mental distress. He also urged people and politicians to stay away from the case, requesting privacy and peace in their time of loss.

In her later statement before a judicial magistrate, the girl also reportedly admitted to self-immolation.

Deputy CM KV Singh Deo also urged the Opposition to refrain from politicising the unfortunate death of a girl. “Normally, in such cases, the victim’s family doesn’t stand with the government, but the family is with the government, and they are saying the government has done its best and that they are satisfied with it, so the intervention of any third party in the case is unfortunate,” the DY CM said.

While BJD has accused the government of shielding the culprits, the Congress has threatened to gherao the DG office if those responsible for the act are not arrested in seven days.