A couple was battling for their lives with nearly 70% burns after unidentified attackers allegedly broke into their home and set them on fire while they were asleep at Chakrada in Odisha’s Balasore district late Tuesday night in an attack police suspect may have stemmed from enmity.
Police said a petrol bottle and a mobile phone were recovered from the scene. (Shutterstock)
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Police said Bijay Behera and his wife, Aarti Behera, were sleeping when the attackers poured petrol on them before setting them afire. The attack triggered panic in the neighbourhood as the couple screamed for help from inside the burning house. Neighbours rushed to the spot, broke down the door to rescue the couple, and rushed them to a local health centre and later to the district hospital in Balasore. The couple was referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Bhubaneswar, where both remained in a critical condition.
Police said a petrol bottle, a mobile phone, and other material were recovered from the scene and were being examined as part of the investigation.
Additional superintendent Manas De was among the top police officers who visited Chakrada and inspected the crime scene.
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The couple’s family said the attack may have been an act of revenge linked to a dispute involving the couple’s son, Papu, who was in a relationship with a woman and eloped a few months ago. Relatives suspect members of the woman’s family may have been behind the attack, though police have not confirmed the claim.
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The couple’s family said the attack may have been an act of revenge linked to a dispute involving the couple’s son, Papu, who was in a relationship with a woman and eloped a few months ago. Relatives suspect members of the woman’s family may have been behind the attack, though police have not confirmed the claim.
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Police said all angles, including previous rivalry and personal enmity, are being examined. No arrests have been made so far.
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.
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Home/India News/Odisha couple set ablaze in sleep; revenge angle under probe
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