Bhubaneswar: In revealing the conclusions regarding the death of a minor girl in Puri district, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stated on Monday that the incident in Balanga was a “case of self-immolation” and not an attack by assailants as initially suggested. In a written response to a question in the Assembly, Majhi clarified that it was a “mistake of fact” to claim that the 15-year-old girl was set on fire by unknown individuals on July 19. The girl’s mother had informed the Balanga police that some unidentified persons had forcibly taken her daughter to a river embankment and attempted to kill her by dousing her with kerosene and petrol.
According to the statement, the girl was able to escape and sought assistance from a nearby house. Local villagers rescued her while she was still burning and took her to Pipili CHC, from where she was referred to AIIMS in Bhubaneswar. The following day, she was airlifted to AIIMS, New Delhi, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries on August 2, as stated by the Chief Minister. “The victim, while giving her statement before the Magistrate under Section 183 of BNSS, indicated that out of anger and disgust, she poured kerosene on herself and ignited it,” the Chief Minister noted.
He also informed the House that the investigation was conducted under the direct supervision of senior officials and was later submitted to the court as a ‘Final Report Mistake of Fact’. In his written statement, the Chief Minister mentioned that a total of 15 self-immolation cases involving women and girls, including the Balanga incident, were recorded in the State from June 2024 to August 2025. The BJP government, led by Majhi, took office in the State in June 2024. Among the 15 self-immolation cases, four occurred in Balasore, three in Cuttack district, and two in Ganjam district, with the remaining incidents reported in Khurda, Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, and Puri districts.