Bhubaneswar: The final rituals of the Balanga victim were conducted today at her ancestral village, Bayabari, in Puri district. After a collective prayer, the victim was laid to rest.
According to reports, the district administration had made all necessary arrangements for the ceremony. Security personnel were deployed in the village to maintain law and order.
As the body arrived in Bayabari village, wails and sobs filled the air, with villagers visibly distraught and emotional. Leaders from various political parties, including Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, also offered prayers according to Islamic traditions.
According to reports, the mortal remains of the victim arrived at the airport around 11:15 pm by an Indigo flight from Delhi after an autopsy was conducted at AIIMS, Delhi. Thousands of people, including leaders and workers from various political parties, gathered at the Bhubaneswar airport to pay their last respects to the victim..
The airport was turned into a sea of people, with leaders from the BJP, BJD, Congress, and other parties in attendance. A massive police force, comprising around 6 platoons, was deployed to maintain law and order, anticipating potential unrest.
The body was soon escorted by police and taken directly from the airport to the victim’s ancestral village, Bayabari, via a hearse van. And the funeral rites were conducted with the burial ceremony after the morning prayers.
Notably, the girl was allegedly set afire on July 19 near the banks of the Bhargavi River at Balanga in Puri. The girl, suffering from severe burns, managed to run to a nearby house. Locals came to her aid, alerted her family, and rushed her to a Pipili hospital and later shifted her to AIIMS Bhubaneswar due to the severity of her injuries.
On July 20, she was airlifted to AIIMS Delhi for further treatment. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries on Saturday evening while undergoing treatment.
