A minor girl in Odisha's Kalahandi district sustained severe burn injuries after she was set on fire allegedly by two youths for protesting eve-teasing, police said.
The girl, studying in the tenth standard, struggled for life after sustaining severe burn injuries, the police said, adding her condition was highly critical.
She is a student of TRW School at Madhupur under Lanjigarh block and was going to attend nature's call to a nearby stream last afternoon when two youths, identified as Bulu Das and Shyama Sahoo of the same village, passed lewd comments at her.
The girl protested and informed the matter to her parents. Her mother then cautioned the youths for the act.
Enraged by her mother's warning, the two youths abused the girl's father in presence of others. Later in the evening when the girl was alone in her house, they trespassed and allegedly set her on fire after dousing her with kerosene oil, police said.
Hearing the girl's screams, local people rescued her and rushed her to a hospital. The girl sustained 90 per cent burn injuries.
As soon the matter was informed to the police, Inspector In-charge of Narla police station Ulasha Majhi recorded her statement at the hospital.
Additional SP of Kalahandi Akhaya Kumar Das said the girl's statement has been recorded in presence of a Magistrate and the two accused youths have been arrested.
The victim has been referred to VSS Medical College at Burla as her condition remained highly critical, the ASP said.
The incident came close on the heels of miscreants thrashing three girls in Bhubaneswar for protesting eve-teasing.
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