ROURKELA: In a horrific incident, a youth allegedly set a 27-year-old woman ablaze while she was asleep in her house at Jaratoli hamlet under Santoshpur village, around 25 km from Rourkela, late on Friday night.
The victim is battling for life with more than 60 per cent burn injuries at JP Hospital in Rourkela. Hours after the crime, police on Saturday evening arrested the accused, identified as Rajat Kiro, a tribal youth, from the Sonaparvat area of the nearby Lathikata block. Kiro belongs to the Kinjirkela police station area in Sundargarh district. He was stalking the victim for months, police said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the window of the room in which the woman was sleeping had been left open. Taking advantage of this, the accused allegedly hurled petrol into the room and set it on fire, leaving the house gutted. The area comes under Bisra police limits.
The victim’s father said the incident occurred between 11 pm and 11.30 pm while his daughter was asleep in her room and he and his wife had taken the verandah. Hearing her screams, they rushed in and rescued her.
The medical treatment for the victim also took hours as the family had to knock the doors of one hospital after another. The father said she was initially taken to the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) only to be referred to the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla, about 200 km away. Though RGH has a trauma and burns unit, it has limited facilities for critical care.
According to him, they were informed at VIMSAR that no bed was available at the burn centre. The family subsequently brought her back to Rourkela and admitted her to JP Hospital at around 10.30 am on Saturday.
The father said his daughter, a graduate, was working as a contractual employee at the Bisra block office. He alleged that the family had recently learnt that Kiro was in one-sided love with her which she did not reciprocate.
Despite her disinterest, Kiro allegedly continued to stalk and harass her. The father suspects that the accused, unable to accept rejection, may have acted with malicious intent. He further said that shortly before the incident, a relative had noticed Kiro standing near their house but ignored it unaware of his evil design.
Victim battling for life with 60% burn injuries, say Rourkela cops
He demanded stringent action against the accused. Police said the victim continued to be critical with over 60 per cent burn injuries. Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani said the crime appeared to have over one-sided love and that three police teams were formed to trace the accused.
He said Kiro, arrested from Sonaparvat under Lathikata police limits, had confessed to the crime and was booked on charges of arson and attempt to murder. Police sources said Kiro was found hiding atop a forested hill after abandoning his scooter and mobile phone at the foothills. Police are also verifying his personal details.