An 11-year-old girl was set on fire allegedly by two women in Balinali village under Barkote police limits in the district on Thursday. The women apprehended that the girl might reveal the names of their daughters who had joined her in stealing pomegranates.
The girl, Rinki Behera, was admitted to Deogarh district headquarters hospital where she succumbed.
According to reports, Rinki along with three of her friends Pooja Sahu, Twinkle Sahu and Jhunu had stolen the fruits from the garden of one Mahi Pradhan in the village on Wednesday afternoon. Later, mothers of Pooja and Twinkle, Sulochana Sahu and Mali Sahu respectively came to know about the incident.
Apprehending that Rinki might divulge the names of their daughters, Sulochan and Mali entered Rinki’s house on Thursday morning after the girl’s mother Usharani Behera left home for some work. They closed the house and set the girl on fire after dousing her with kerosene.
Rinki’s brother Naresh Behera saw the two women coming out of the house and on seeing Rinki on fire, raised an alarm.
Villagers rushed to the spot and caught hold of the two women.
Usharani lodged an FIR with the local police accusing the two women of murder. DSP Prabhat Panigrahi and SDPO Prashanta Mishra visited the spot and made preliminary investigation. Till filing of this report, police had detained the two women.