A 10-year-old girl was allegedly burnt alive in Deogarh’s Balinali village on Thursday. Police have detained two women in this connection and are investigating the matter. The victim was identified as Rinki Behera.
Sources said Rinki along with her three friends had stolen some pomegranate from a nearby farm on Wednesday. Their family members had asked them not to talk about it to anyone. But she disclosed the names of her friends while admitting that they had stolen fruits before the farm owner, the next morning. Irked over the disclosure, mothers of two of her friends, Sulochana Sahu and Malli Sahu, reached Rinki’s house and scolded her. She was later found in a critical condition with burn injuries on her body. She died on the way to hospital.
The victim’s mother lodged a complaint with police alleging that Sulochana and Malli burnt her daughter alive after pouring kerosene on her. “We have registered a case and engaged a forensic expert for clues. The two women have been detained for questioning,” said SDPO (Deogarh) Prasanta Mishra.
