Odisha: Miscreants set 15-yr-old girl on fire, victim under treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar (PTI): A 15-year-old girl was set on fire by unidentified persons in Odisha's Puri district on Saturday, officials said.
The girl was rushed to AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a critical condition, and she has suffered 70 per cent burn injuries, but she is able to speak, they said.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who is in charge of the Women and Child Development Department, said the government will bear the expenses of the girl's treatment and that the police have been asked to arrest the culprits as soon as possible.
The incident took place at Bayabar village in Balanga police station area around 9 am when the girl was going to her friend's house.
Preliminary investigation revealed that three unidentified motorcycle-borne youths intercepted her, forcibly took her to the banks of Bhargavi River, sprinkled an inflammable substance on her body, and set her on fire, a police officer said.
The spot of the incident is around 1.5 km from her house at Nuagopalpur Bustee and around 5-7 km from Balanga police station.
The miscreants fled the spot after setting the girl on fire. Local people doused the fire and later took her to Pipili government hospital, from where she was shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
Puri Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra, who reached the spot, said that the police have started an investigation and were questioning some people.
Scientific teams are engaged in the investigation. No one has been detained or arrested so far, the SP said.
Pipili Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Debasish Mishra, said that the girl suffered burn injuries on her back, abdomen and other parts.
"Two teams have been formed to nab the culprits. We are trying to search for clues from CCTV cameras installed in private homes," he said.
Puri district collector Chanchal Rana said that the administration has taken the incident very seriously and police have been asked to take prompt action.
Deputy CM Parida, in an X post, stated: "I am saddened and shocked to hear the news that some miscreants at Balanga in Puri district poured petrol on a fifteen-year-old girl and set her on fire."
"The girl has been immediately shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, and all arrangements are being made for her treatment. All the expenses of the treatment will be borne by the government. The police administration has been directed to arrest the culprits immediately and take strict action," she said.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Opposition BJD and Congress visited AIIMS Bhubaneswar and met the family members of the girl, and doctors.
"She is currently under treatment... we pray for her speedy recovery," senior Congress leader and former Union minister Srikant Jena said.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
