Puri, July 19 (IANS) In a chilling incident that has shocked Odisha’s Puri district, a minor girl was reportedly set ablaze by unidentified assailants near a river embankment in Balanga.

The attack, which took place on July 19, has triggered urgent police action, including the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

According to the complaint lodged by the victim’s mother, Mahmuda Bibi of Nuagopalpur village, the girl was allegedly accosted by unknown miscreants who doused her with petrol and kerosene in a brutal attempt to murder her.

Miraculously, she managed to escape and sought refuge at a nearby residence.

Villagers responded swiftly, rushing the victim to the Pipili Community Health Centre before she was referred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar due to the severity of her burn injuries.

Police have registered Malanga PS Case No. 162/2025 under sections 127(2), 109, 123, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Scientific and K9 teams have combed the crime scene, and senior officials are overseeing evidence collection.

Balanga IIC Shri Dibya Ranjan Panda is heading the SIT, tasked with expediting the investigation and identifying those responsible.

Authorities assured that stringent action would follow, promising justice for the survivor.

Earlier, former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik blasted the BJP government over the rising crime against women in the state and condemned the horrific incident.

Taking to X, Patnaik posted, “Deeply anguished to know that a young girl was set on fire in Balanga area of Puri District. This attempt to kill her happened in broad daylight. I strongly condemn this horrible act.”

“It has happened just within a week of the terrible incident of a young girl setting herself ablaze in FM College after she was denied justice — even after knocking on every door, and a month after the horrific incident in Gopalpur,” Patnaik said.

“Such unthinkable incidents against women are now being reported almost daily across Odisha. These are not stray cases of violence. These incidents occurring with shocking regularity point to a deep systemic failure of governance. It shows that criminals have become emboldened under the present government and are not worried about being punished,” he said.

The former Chief Minister said that these incidents show that Odisha is becoming “highly unsafe” for women due to government “inaction and political patronage.”

“Will the Odisha Govt wake up from this deep slumber and take speedy action so that the criminals are arrested? And more importantly, will the government respond so that such incidents are not repeated? The girls and women of Odisha await a response,” he added.

–IANS

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