Main accused held in girl burned in Kendrapara case

KENDRAPARA: A day after a 15-year-old girl was set on fire by two persons in Kendrapara district, police on Monday arrested one of the accused. "We arrested the main accused, Pradip Das, at Paradip," said IIC of Mahakalpada police station A Dalua. The other accused, Eakadashi Das, is on the run, he added.
Sources said Pradip was wooing the victim. When she did not respond for over a year, the duo set her afire on Sunday.The girl, with 70% burns, is battling for life at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
The government on Monday handed over Rs 20,000 to her parents from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and will bear all her medical expenses. Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda, Mahakalapada MLA Atanu Sabyasachi and CPM district secretary Umesh Chandra Singh met the victim in the hospital.
Senior BJP leader and former minister Bijaya Mohapatra condemned the ghastly act. "Law and order is in a bad shape across the state due to slipshod attitude of police and the administration," said Mohapatra. The victim is a Class VIII student of Kharinasi Upper Primary School.