Aska: A 17-year old girl died by self-immolation Monday by pouring kerosene and then setting herself on fire at her house in Bhetanai village under Kotinada police limits in Ganjam district over unknown reasons. The deceased was identified as Puja Goud, 17, daughter of Debaraj Goud a resident of the same village. The deceased was a Plus-II first year student at the Ahalya Devi Junior Women’s College in Balipadar. She used to stay with her mother and brother while her father was working at Surat. Police seized the body of the deceased and sent it for postmortem to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur. Police are yet to ascertain why the minor girl took such a drastic step.
Locals said that Puja had been to her maternal grandfather’s house at Saibagad village Sunday and returned with him to the her native place, Monday. The incident occurred after her mother and maternal grandfather left for Bellguntha to attend the post-death rituals of a relative while her brother had gone to the college. Puja was alone inside the house when she poured kerosene on her and immolated herself. Neighbours saw smoke billowing out of the house and called her uncle before rushing inside. However, by then she had been charred to death. Kotinada police registered a case after the deceased’s mother Anita lodged a complaint at the police station, IIC Krushna Chandra Saha said. Police also seized the mobile phone of Anita and Puja to check the call records. It is being apprehended that Puja took the drastic step after a telephonic tiff with her mom.
