The victim, a 15-year-old girl of Sahanikera village was allegedly raped by a person named Milu Jena of the village, after being "forcibly lifted" from her house while she was asleep on Thursday night, they said.
As the girl shouted for help, Jena poured kerosene and set her on fire before fleeing. Hearing her scream, villagers rescued the girl with over 80 per cent burn injury and admitted her to the public health centre (PHC) at Keerendia, they said.
As her condition became critical, she was shifted to the district headquarters hospital here the next day.
However, she succumbed to her burn injuries on Sunday, police said.
SP Anup Kumar Sahu said the victim had in her statement told the police about the ordeal she had gone through before her death.
Besides, police had seized a kerosene jar, match box and half-burnt clothes from the spot, he said.
Three police squads had been formed to nab the accused. On a tip-off, one of the squads, raided the house of a relative of Jena at Cuttack yesterday and arrested him on several charges including rape and murder and willfully causing harm, the SP said.
The victim's father Ranjan Swain had filed an FIR in this connection.
The girl had been medically examined and a post-mortem was conducted yesterday, they said, adding the accused would be produced before the court soon.
