.jpg) |
| Swadhina Mallick at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.Telegraph picture |
Bhubaneswar, June 7: A nineteen-year-old MBA student, who attempted self-immolation last night near a private engineering college on the Phulanakhara Niali Road, is lying in a critical condition at S.C.B. Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
Her family members, however, alleged today that her childhood friend who was also studying set her on fire in the same college. They are yet to lodge a police complaint on the issue though.
The girl was rescued by Balianta police who rushed her to Capital Hospital and later to S.C.B. Medical College and Hospital around midnight as her condition deteriorated. Sources said that she had sustained around 80 per cent burn injuries.
Swadhina Mallick from Rourkela was doing her masters in business administration in a private business institute at Nayapalli. She had come to the engineering college to meet the boy with who she was allegedly in love.
However, when the boy did not agree to her marriage proposal, she set herself on fire. The police said they had detained the youth and were investigating into the matter.
The girl was staying in a private hostel at Sahid Nagar. Her family members suspected that she was attacked by her childhood friend Prakash Kumar, who is also pursuing his B Tech degree in the city.
Swadina’s family members said that she and Prakash were friends since their days in the Kendriya Vidyalaya in Sector VI in Rourkela.
“I talk to my daughter over phone thrice a day. But yesterday, everybody in the family was worried as we could not contact her till 8pm. When I was able to establish contact with her over phone around 9pm, I could hear her screams as she had been set on fire and none helped her. Soon, her mobile phone got switched off,” her mother added.
The police have seized a kerosene jar, a matchbox and the girl’s shoes from the spot. “Though preliminary investigation shows that the girl had set herself on fire, we are investigating into the matter from all possible angles,” said a police officer.
The police, however, said that the girl used to visit the youth in his college.
“As Prakash, who hailed from Bihar, did not want to meet her last night, she set herself on fire. Recently she had come to visit Prakash on May 25 and June 4 in late evenings,” said a police officer, adding that during investigation they even came to know about the girl spending one night outside the college after failing to meet the boy.