August 3
Everyone in the family and the village was eagerly waiting for the return of the 16-year’old girl from Delhi AIIMS alive, but unfortunately, her return did not happen. However, the neighbours responded that fate had other plans for her. The whole village is in shock over the recent event, the loss of their girl. A surprising calm has settled over the village since the news of their daughter’s passing arrived.
A political debate regarding the girl’s death has started in the state. Opposition political parties have aimed their criticisms at the Chief Minister Mohan Majhi-led BJP government. Biju Janata Dal, during a press conference on Saturday, questioned, ”Why was no official medical bulletin ever released?’ It has also expressed concern about the government’s inability to identify the miscreants, even after two weeks have passed. It also requested Rs.2 crore in compensation for the family and the immediate arrest of those responsible within 7 days.
“We have continued fighting for justice and will take it to the streets to ensure that the victim is handed out due justice,” said BJD leader Sanjay Das Burma.
Meanwhile, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President Bhakta Charan Das expressed his concerns, indicating that they might gherao the office of the Director General of Police (DGP) if arrests aren’t made within a week.
The incident occurred close to Bayabar village in Balanga block, where the minor was discovered with more than 70% burn injuries near a river embankment. It was alleged that three unidentified individuals poured a flammable substance on her, leading to her being set ablaze.
At first, she was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, and later, she was moved to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar and then to AIIMS-Delhi.
As of now, there haven’t been any arrests, and the police have indicated that no one else was involved in the incident of the victim being set on fire, marking a significant development in the case. Authorities have mentioned that there was no evidence of foul play.
The victim’s father also supported these statements and urged political parties to avoid politicising this matter.
