In the fourth such incident within a month, a 13-year-old girl allegedly set herself on fire and is battling for life at a hospital in Odisha’s Bargarh district, police said on Monday.
The incident occurred at Phiringmal village under Gaisilat police station limits. According to police, the Class 8 student used petrol to set herself ablaze on a football ground. Villagers rushed to her aid, rescuing her in a half-burnt state before taking her to the Bargarh district headquarters hospital. Her condition is reported to be critical.
“The reason behind the self-immolation is not yet known,” police said, adding that investigations are underway.
The case comes on the heels of three other deaths by burning since July 12, incidents that have sparked outrage and political confrontation in the state.
On July 12, a 20-year-old woman student from Balasore set herself ablaze on her college campus. She died two days later at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
Just a week later, on July 19, a 16-year-old girl in Balanga was allegedly set on fire by three men on a riverbank. She succumbed to her injuries at AIIMS Delhi on August 2.
The third case was reported on August 6 in Kendrapara district, when the charred body of a third-year undergraduate student was found in her home under Pattamundai (rural) police station limits. Police later said the young woman had allegedly set herself ablaze after officers refused to register a complaint against her boyfriend, who was accused of blackmailing her. Following the incident, assistant sub-inspector Sailendra Mohan Pallai of Pattamundai police station was transferred. He had allegedly advised the girl’s parents to block the boyfriend’s phone number.
The Kendrapara death drew sharp criticism, with leaders from across party lines visiting the bereaved family. A post-mortem was conducted at SCB Medical College and Hospital.
Naveen Patnaik slams BJP government
Former chief minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has accused the Mohan Charan Majhi-led BJP government of “gross neglect and administrative apathy” over the spate of immolation deaths.
“How many more mothers must hold the ashes of their daughters before the BJP government acts? It is a terrible neglect on the part of the government,” Patnaik said on Wednesday.
In a post on X, he wrote: “It pains to know that within a month, three young girls have lost their lives in very similar circumstances. Each fatal flame that consumed these innocent lives indicates a disturbing pattern in Odisha. Three daughters of our soil died in broad daylight because the apathetic administration failed to hear their screams at every turn. Not to mention many more such heinous crimes against women being reported across the state, almost daily. How many more funeral pyres must light up before the state BJP government will wake up?”
Patnaik also linked the tragedies to a broader climate of insecurity for women in Odisha.
In another post on July 22, he referred to reports of rape in Jajpur, gangrape in Jagatsinghpur and Malkangiri, and sexual assault in Puri, calling them part of a “disturbing wave of crimes against women” gripping the state.
“Both in cities and villages, the streets have become increasingly unsafe for women—in broad daylight and night. A young student heading to school or college or returning from tutorial classes cannot be sure of her safety. Danger now lurks in everyday normal places,” he wrote.
The BJD leader blamed political interference for weakening police accountability. “This surge in sexual assaults reflects a troubling erosion of law enforcement. When the various ranks of the police face interference and political pressure, accountability weakens, and women and girls pay the price first,” he said.
The Balanga case in particular has triggered widespread protests. On Wednesday, the BJD observed a six-hour bandh across Puri district, demanding swift justice for the 16-year-old girl killed on July 19.
The party accused police of failing to solve the case and said the state government had not acted decisively against the accused. The strike brought much of Puri to a standstill, with shops and markets remaining shut.
The BJD also recalled the case of a second-year BEd student at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore, who set herself on fire on July 12 after allegedly being harassed by a teacher demanding sexual favours. She died at AIIMS Bhubaneswar two days later.
In each case, opposition leaders have pointed to failures in law enforcement and the handling of complaints, particularly those involving women and minors.
With the latest self-immolation in Bargarh, public concern is deepening over what appears to be a pattern of similar tragedies in quick succession.