15-Year-Old Girl Set on Fire in Odisha’s Puri, Days After Balasore Self-Immolation Case Sparks Outrage

A horrifying case of violence against a minor has emerged from Odisha’s Puri district, where a 15-year-old girl was allegedly set on fire by three miscreants in Bayabar village on Saturday. The attack took place while the girl was on her way to a friend’s house.

According to officials quoted by PTI, the girl suffered critical burn injuries and has been rushed to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for treatment.

Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who also heads the Women and Child Development Department, confirmed the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “shocking and saddening.” She said the state government will bear all medical expenses and directed police to arrest the culprits immediately.

Shocking Parallel with Balasore Case

This disturbing incident comes barely a week after a similar tragedy in Balasore, where a 20-year-old college student died by self-immolation after alleging inaction over her sexual harassment complaint against a faculty member at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College.

The young woman had set herself ablaze on the college campus on July 12. She succumbed to her injuries two days later at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. The case prompted widespread outrage, and an assistant professor was arrested in connection with the allegations.

A UGC fact-finding team visited the college on Friday to investigate the circumstances surrounding the student’s death. The incident triggered a statewide uproar, with Congress and other opposition parties calling for an Odisha bandh earlier this week to protest the government’s handling of the case.

Mounting Concern Over Women’s Safety in Odisha

Back-to-back cases of extreme violence against young women and girls have sparked intense concern over women’s safety in the state. Both incidents have drawn condemnation from political leaders, rights groups, and the general public, as calls grow louder for swift justice and stronger institutional accountability.