A 15-year-old girl was allegedly set on fire by three unidentified miscreants in Odisha’s Puri district on Saturday, officials said.
The girl, who sustained severe burn injuries, has been rushed to AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a critical condition, the officials further said.
The incident took place in Bayabar village under Nimapada Tehsil in Puri district. The 15-year-old girl, a Plus II student, was going to her friend’s house when three miscreants set her on fire, eyewitnesses said, adding they fled the spot after committing the crime.
Local doused the fire and rushed her to the hospital.
Police have reached the village and started an investigation into the matter.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who is also in the charge of the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department, confirmed the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
She wrote in the post, “I am saddened and shocked to hear the news that some miscreants at Balanga in Puri district poured petrol on a fifteen-year-old girl on the road and set her on fire.”
ବଳଙ୍ଗା ଅଂଚଳ ରେ କିଛି ଦୁର୍ବୁତ୍ତ ଏକ ପନ୍ଦର ବର୍ଷୀୟା ଝିଅ କୁ ରାସ୍ତା ରେ ପେଟ୍ରୋଲ ଢାଳି ନିଆଁ ଲଗାଇଦେବା ଖବର ଶୁଣି ମୁଁ ବ୍ୟଥିତ ଓ ମର୍ମାହତ। ଝିଅ କୁ ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର ସ୍ଥିତ AIIMS ହସ୍ପିଟାଲ କୁ ତୁରନ୍ତ ସ୍ଥାନାନ୍ତରିତ କରାଯାଇଛି ଓ ତାହାର ଚିକିତ୍ସା ର ସମସ୍ତ ବ୍ୟବସ୍ଥା କରାଯାଉଛି। ଚିକିତ୍ସା ର ସମସ୍ତ ଖର୍ଚ୍ଚ ସରକାର ବହନ କରିବେ।…
— Pravati Parida (@PravatiPOdisha) July 19, 2025
“The girl has been immediately shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, and all arrangements are being made for her treatment. All the expenses of the treatment will be borne by the government. The police administration has been directed to arrest the culprits immediately and take strict action,” the deputy chief minister said.
