Odisha: Woman, who alleged years of sexual abuse by father, dies of burn injuries

Berhampur (Odisha), Jul 12 (PTI) A 22-year-old woman, who had allegedly set herself on fire after being subjected to repeated sexual abuse by her father for years, succumbed to the burn injuries at a hospital in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, police said. The married woman had sustained around 75 per cent burn injuries after allegedly setting herself ablaze at her in-laws' house in Ganjam district on Thursday. Her father, a 57-year-old physical education teacher at a high school, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly sexually assaulting her for years, even after her marriage. "Her father has already been arrested. Following the victim's death, he will now also be booked for abetment of suicide," ASP (Berhampur) Alok Jena said. The accused had earlier been booked under various provisions of the BNS after a case was registered at Nimakhandi police station on July 9, he said. Police said they were also investigating whether any other person had any role in abetting the woman's suicide. As part of the probe, investigators have questioned her family members and in-laws. The woman allegedly locked herself on the rooftop of her in-laws' house before setting herself on fire. She was rescued by her brother-in-law and initially admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur before being shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar as her condition deteriorated, police said. Police recorded her statement during treatment at the Berhampur hospital, in which she named her father and alleged that he had been sexually abusing her for the past three years, including after her marriage last year. The investigation has also revealed that the accused had allegedly borrowed Rs 10 lakh from the victim's father-in-law before the marriage. When the woman asked him to return the money, he allegedly blackmailed her by threatening to make her objectionable photographs public, which, according to police, drove her to take the extreme step. PTI COR BBM BBM SOM