A woman reportedly tried to set herself on fire outside the state secretariat in Bhubaneswar on Friday by pouring petrol on herself, according police.
Security forces deployed near gate number 1 of the Lok Seva Bhavan acted swiftly to intervene, stopping the woman before she could immolate herself, officials stated.
The woman, hailing from the Banpur area in Khurda district, was rescued before she could strike a matchstick and was subsequently shifted to Capital Hospital for a medical examination and necessary care.
According to the woman’s allegations, she resorted to the extreme step because she was being subjected to ongoing mental harassment and unlawful detention by the Banpur police.
Refuting her claims, Banpur SDPO Sanjay Kumar Patnaik clarified that the woman had previously been arrested following a sexual harassment complaint filed by a 15-year-old girl at the Baripada Town police station back in 2022.
Police said the woman had remained in judicial custody for nearly three years and was recently released on bail.
