BHUBANESWAR: Around two weeks after a 15-year-old girl from Puri’s Balanga succumbed to burn injuries, a videographed statement of her claiming that she was abducted by three youths and then set on fire went viral on social media on Sunday.
In the video, the girl can be heard mentioning that three unidentified youths with their faces covered abducted her when she was returning home. They then made her unconscious and set her on fire.
After the video went public, Puri’s in-charge SP Pinak Mishra told mediapersons such act was illegal and strong action will be taken against those found involved in it. “The viral video is being examined to ascertain its genuineness. It appears to have been captured on camera while her statement was being recorded in AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on July 19, a few hours after the incident had taken place in Balanga,” he said.
Mishra said, police are trying to identify the person who leaked the confidential video and how it went viral on social media. They have also sought the assistance of Crime Branch to investigate the matter. He urged the citizens, who receive videos of such sensitive incidents, to not circulate them on social media. “Investigation is being carried out by following all the procedures and is in the final stages. We are awaiting some forensic reports,” he added. The girl had sustained 75 per cent burns and was admitted to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on July 19. A day later, she was airlifted to AIIMS-New Delhi where she succumbed on August 2.
Police sources said the girl had frequently changed her statements. “In AIIMS-New Delhi, the minor girl, in her statement which was recorded before a judicial magistrate, has said she had attempted to die by suicide and was afraid to reveal the truth. She even said nobody else was involved in the incident,” they added.
Meanwhile, the BJD targeted the state government stating that the police claims were contradictory to what the girl had said in her statement. “Why is the state government not handing over the investigation of the case to the CBI as there are so many discrepancies?” said BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty. BJP spokesperson Surath Biswal hit back stating the opposition is politicising the sensitive issue. Soon after her death on August 2, the father of the victim had come out with a video statement saying she had died by suicide due to mental stress and depression.