Girl, 15, burnt in Odisha airlifted to Delhi; cops suspect self-immolation

BHUBANESWAR: A 15-year-old girl allegedly set on fire by three masked men in Odisha's Puri district was airlifted Sunday to New Delhi for treatment at AIIMS, where she remains in stable condition with 70-75% burn injuries.

The class 9 dropout was walking to a relative's home around 8.30am Saturday when she was reportedly intercepted near a river embankment, rendered unconscious by a chemical-laced cloth, and doused with kerosene before being set ablaze. Screaming for help, she fled to a nearby house, where residents extinguished the flames and gave her fresh clothes. Police and family later took her to AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

With her vitals showing slight improvement, doctors cleared her for airlift. "Her blood pressure, which was low, improved today. It was safe to transfer her," said AIIMS Bhubaneswar executive director Ashutosh Biswas.

Police said her statement aligns with her mother's complaint: three men forced her to inhale chemicals before burning her. Investigators have ruled out sexual assault, based on the teen's denial.

However, police are now also considering a self-immolation theory. Forensic teams found a plastic container at her house matching the two kerosene bottles discovered at the scene. "We are probing from every possible angle," said IGP S Praveen Kumar.

"She said she regained consciousness after being set on fire. We're verifying every detail," SP Pinak Mishra said.