"The state government will bear the treatment cost of the lady teacher from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF)," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said while terming the incident as "Barbaric" and "inhuman".
Expressing concern over the incident, Patnaik said stringent action will be taken against the culprit.
"An unknown miscreant on Sunday night set the lady teacher on fire after pouring kerosene on her. She has been rushed to a private hospital in Andhra Pradesh," Superintendent of Police (SP), Rayagada, Rajesh Pandit said adding the police have suspended M D Pradhan, a police ASI and investigating officer (IO) of Tikiri police station.
Itishree Pradhan (36), who hailed from Delang area in Puri district and was working in an Upper Primary school at Tikiri, was set on fire by an unknown man on Sunday night in the school hostel, Inspector In-Charge of Tikiri police station S K Sai said.
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Meanwhile, chief district medical officer (CDMO), Rayagada, Dr K V S Choudhyry said: "The lady teacher has sustained about 90 per cent burn injury. The doctors are trying their best to save her."
Alleging police inaction teachers of Rayagada staged a demonstration at the district headquarters town demanding immediate arrest of Dandsena. The "barbaric" incident could have been avoided had police arrested Dandsena soon after the lady teacher lodged complaint against him, they said.
The teachers alleged that the local police allowed Dandasena to evade non-bailable warrant against him.