Bhubaneswar: It was an alleged debt burden which prompted a woman in Odisha’s Puri district to attempt self-immolation on August 13.
A kerosene bottle, a handwritten suicide note, and a matchbox were recovered from the scene. “During preliminary investigation, we found that she made an attempt to die by suicide due to debt burden. In the suicide note, however, she has not blamed anyone,” Puri Additional SP Sachin Patel told the media.
Police have also questioned the victim’s father and husband, who have denied any family dispute.
The 37-year-old woman, who sustained around 70-80% burns, is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar. However, she is yet to be shifted to the Burn Units due to unavailability of beds.
On Thursday, Urmila Mohapatra, a member of State Commission for Women, visited the hospital to record her statement but was unable to do so as her condition remained critical. “Two doctors are attending to her. We will also meet the head of the Burns Unit, Dr Sanjay Giri. We are trying to get her shifted to the Burns Unit,” she said.
Mohapatra further stated that the victim’s father said that she led a happy conjugal life. “As per statements of her family members, the woman was found burnt when her husband was not in the home. They have also said that there is no family dispute,” she added.
The woman had set herself ablaze at her rented house in Pipili town when her husband and daughter were not present, making it the sixth such incident in the state in just over a month. Four among the victims have died.
A 20-year-old college student immolated herself on the campus after no action was taken over the harassment complaint in Balasore district on July 12 and died two days later. A 15-year-old girl of Puri district died of 75% burns while undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Delhi on August 3. While her mother lodged an FIR, claiming that she was abducted by three men and set on fire on Bhargavi riverbank under Balanga police limits in Puri district on July 19, hours after her death, the father of the victim came out with a video statement saying she took her own life due to mental stress.
On August 6, the charred body of a 20-year-old college girl was found in her house in Kendrapada district. She allegedly took her own life after being blackmailed by her ex-boyfriend, with whom she had broken up six months ago.
On August 12, a 13-year-old Class 8 student died after setting herself on fire in Bargarh district.
A woman of Dhenkanal district also set herself ablaze on August 13 following a quarrel in the family. She is undergoing treatment in a hospital.