A 20-year-old final-year undergraduate student was found dead with severe burn injuries at her residence in Odisha's Kendrapara district on Wednesday. According to reports, the young woman was alone at home when she allegedly poured petrol on herself and set herself ablaze. Her father has claimed that the drastic step came after months of mental torture, harassment and blackmail by a man she had once been in a relationship with. He alleged that the accused had been threatening her using intimate photos and even went as far as to threaten her life, claiming he would kill her by setting her on fire.
What did the victim's father say?
The grieving father revealed that his daughter had lodged a formal complaint with the local police around six months ago, stating the constant threats and emotional blackmail she was facing. However, he alleged that despite her plea for help, no action was taken by the authorities. "She was in a relationship with a man and was being blackmailed by him. The police asked my daughter to block the man's mobile number if he was harassing her," the father said.
Kendrapara Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kataria reached the spot and said, "I have seen the body. Her father claimed that she died by suicide. The matter will be investigated."
Third such case within a month
It should be noted here that this was the third incident of a woman dying of burn injuries in Odisha since July 12. A 20-year-old female student of FM College in Balasore immolated herself on the college campus on July 12, and died two days later while undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar. Another 15-year-old girl from Balanga area of Puri district also died from burn injuries on August 2.
(With inputs from PTI)
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