Overview
- The attack occurred around 1 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, when family members say a man sprayed petrol through a window and set the sleeping woman alight; neighbours rescued her and she was rushed to a private hospital in Rourkela with critical burns.
- Relatives and police say the petrol was introduced through a pipe and ignited with a match, and forensic teams have since visited the scene to gather scientific evidence and trace the ignition method.
- The victim’s father publicly named an alleged attacker as Rajat Kiro and police describe the incident as linked to one-sided or rejected romantic advances.
- Authorities have registered a case and launched an investigation, but initial reports conflict on whether an arrest has been made and officials have not confirmed a suspect in public statements.
- The case has renewed local focus on violence driven by obsessive advances and on emergency care capacity for severe burn victims as hospitals and investigators determine the next legal and medical steps.