The death of the minor girl from Balanga continues to haunt the Odisha government, with a leaked video statement of the victim claiming she was set ablaze by three men going viral on social media.

Her words stand in sharp contrast to the police’s assertion that no one was involved.

The 15-year-old was allegedly set on fire on the banks of a river in Balanga, Puri district, on July 19. Taken to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, she was airlifted to AIIMS Delhi, where she died on August 2.

The video has armed the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) with fresh ammunition. Addressing the media on Sunday, party spokesperson Lenin Mohanty accused the Mohan Charan Majhi government of shielding the guilty.

“Soon after the girl’s death, Odisha police tweeted that no one was involved in the incident. Now the viral video, in which the victim purportedly names three people, has raised disturbing questions about the probe. Its veracity must be probed,” Mohanty said.

He recalled that the victim, in her earlier media statement, had alleged that three men set her ablaze. “She was shifted to AIIMS Delhi on our demand. Even the deputy chief minister, Pravati Parida, visited her and said she was recovering. Police recorded her statement but made no arrests. This video casts a shadow on the probe,” he added.

Mohanty accused Parida, in whose constituency the incident took place, of attempting to shield the accused. He also demanded her resignation and a judicial probe into the case.