Keonjhar: A married couple was allegedly set on fire when they were fast asleep in their house at Dhagotha village under Harichadanpur police limits in Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Sunday.
Identified as Ugrasen Palei and Jayanti Palei, they are currently battling for life at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack with critical burn injuries.
According to reports, miscreants poured kerosene around the house and set it on fire after locking the door from outside. Since the miscreants had also locked the doors of their neighbours from outside, they were unable to rescue them immediately even after hearing their screams.
After some time, some locals broke open the main door of the couple’s house and rushed them to Harichandanpur Community Health Centre. They were shifted to the district headquarters hospital after preliminary treatment and then referred to SCB.
Meanwhile, Harichandanpur police have launched a probe to ascertain the exact reason behind the incident.
