Berhampur: A 20-year-old woman allegedly attempted self-immolation in Odisha’s Ganjam district Saturday, a day after filing a rape complaint, police said.
The woman, a college dropout, suffered around 50 per cent burn injuries after allegedly pouring kerosene and setting herself on fire behind her house in the Kotinada police station area, they said.
The incident happened when no one else was at home. She was rescued by her parents and initially taken to a nearby hospital before being shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, where her condition is stated to be critical.
Police said the exact reason behind the alleged suicide attempt is yet to be ascertained.
“We are investigating the matter from various angles,” Kotinada police station inspector-in-charge Damodar Bihari said.
According to police, the woman had lodged a rape complaint against a man Friday, and her statement was scheduled to be recorded Saturday before the incident took place.
Preliminary investigation suggested that the woman had been in a relationship with the accused since 2022, when she was a minor, they said.