Honour Killing Or Blackmail Threats? CCTV Cameras May Help Police Unravel Odisha Girl Death Mystery

Kendrapada: Mystery continues to shroud the death of a 20-year-old college girl by alleged self-immolation in Odisha’s Kendrapada district.

While police are examining footage CCTV cameras in the neighbourhood, Central Range IG S Praveen Kumar arrived in the district on Saturday to review the investigation process. “We have a CCTV camera angle. We will seize it and recreate the crime scene after receiving the postmortem report,” the IG told the media.

Sources said that the CCTV cameras can help unravel the circumstance leading to her death.

The victim, a Plus III final-year student of political science, allegedly set herself afire at her house in Badapada village on August 6 reportedly over frequent blackmail threats from her boyfriend. The incident is said to have occurred between 9.30 am and 10.30 am.

According to statements of her parents and neighbours, the girl woke up at around 6 pm and picked flowers from the garden. She gave some to her neighbour and the rest to her mother. Her parents then left for Pattamundai at around 7.30 am. The girl is said to have chatted with her boyfriend on WhatsApp between 7 am and 8 am. A small girl in her neighbourhood saw her at 8.30 am and the girl’s grandmother again at 9 am.

Her parents found her in a charred state when they returned home at around 11 am. Police said the body was found on the staircase of the house, indicating that the victim probably made a desperate bid to go to the terrace after setting herself on fire but could not open the door.

On Saturday, Kendrapada SP Siddharth Kataria interrogated the victim’s father and brother. A forensic medicine and toxicology (FMT) doctors’ team also visited the victim’s house under Pattamundai rural police limits.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered against the male friend, identified as Pramod Behera of Teroi village, on the basis of an FIR lodged by her father. He has been booked under Sections 296,75, 78 and 108 of the BNS and Sections 66-E and 67-A of the IT Act.

Behera was detained in Chennai two days back for interrogation in connection with the case. His family, however, have alleged that she was killed for honour, not due to self-immolation. “Yes, my son was in love with the woman who died. They were in a relationship which her father was opposed to. My son did not upload her photos on social media as claimed by her father. We doubt that the woman’s death could be a case of honour killing by her family,” his mother told local television channels.

His sister also challenged her family to provide evidence that her brother posted any video or photo of her on social media, as alleged.

The girl’s father had alleged that she took the extreme step following blackmail threats from her boyfriend. He also claimed that the youth had made her video viral just two days before her death. However, so far, police have not recovered any such viral video of the victim.

Police said that Behera will be arrested if suicide and abetment in the case is proved.