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'Everything was fine till…': Odisha girl's family mourns as police rule out foul play
Odisha girl's brother, who had been waiting for her return while she was undergoing treatment in Delhi, had hoped she would recover gradually.
A 15-year-old girl who was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants on July 19 in Bayabar village under Balanga police limits in Odisha’s Puri district succumbed to her injuries on Saturday while undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.
Her death has left her family shattered, even as the police maintain that no one else was involved in the incident.
The girl, a Class 10 student, had sustained over 70 per cent burn injuries after allegedly being kidnapped and set on fire by three youths on the banks of the Bhargavi River.
Initially treated at a local community health centre, she was later moved to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar and then airlifted to AIIMS-Delhi for specialised care.
On Sunday, an uneasy calm prevailed in Bayabar village, with most locals staying indoors. The atmosphere remained sombre as arrangements began for the girl’s last rites.
Family devastated, seeks no blame or politics
The teen’s family has urged people and politicians to stay away from the case, requesting privacy and peace in their time of loss. “I don’t want to point fingers at anyone. Everyone prayed for my daughter, irrespective of religion. I am not upset with anyone," news agency ANI quoted Odisha girl's father day after her demise.
He added, “My daughter was not part of my destiny. I don’t want to blame anyone. I request you to please keep me and my family away from politics... Everything was fine till she was at home with us. I don’t know how this happened.”
Her brother, who had been waiting in Odisha for her return while she was undergoing treatment in Delhi, told ANI that he had hoped she would recover gradually.
“We cannot even express the extent of our grief... She has struggled a lot, she stayed in the hospital for 14 days. We always had hope... Yesterday morning we were told she is talking and was fine. We don’t know what happened in the afternoon... By the evening, we had lost her,” the brother added.
Her uncle said, “God has taken her away from us. We cannot blame anyone now. The government has helped us a lot... The doctors and the entire staff at the hospital were very good.”
He further expressed his worries for the girl's father, saying, "The father has slipped into depression. He is not in a state to say anything. Seeing him like this pains me.
Police say probe shows no third-party involvement
In a statement posted on social media, Odisha Police said, “The investigation has reached its final stage. According to the investigation conducted so far, it is clear that no other person is involved in this incident.”
The police also urged the public not to make “sensitive comments” during this period of grief.
While the girl had initially alleged that three boys on bicycles had kidnapped and set her ablaze, the police claim that evidence does not support third-party involvement. Her statement was recorded three times during her hospitalisation, officials said.
While the official police stance rules out the involvement of other individuals, the circumstances surrounding how the girl was set ablaze remain unclear.
