An 18-year-old college student from Rajgangpur, Odisha, succumbed to severe burn injuries at Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela late Sunday night after battling for three days.
Shruti Toppo, a Plus Three second-year student from Lanjiberna, sustained over 90 per cent burns after pouring kerosene on herself on December 5. Her body remains in the mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem before being handed over to her family.
Police arrested Nilesh Sahu, 25, of Budakata village under Kutra police station limits, for allegedly stalking and harassing Shruti for over two years. Authorities confirmed that the accused had a heated exchange with her shortly before the incident.
Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Raghunathpalli MLA Durgacharan Tanti, Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani, and IGH Director Dr Jayanta Kumar Acharya visited the hospital during her treatment. They consulted AIIMS Bhubaneswar specialists about advanced care and assured the family of support.
Mahaling stated that two medical teams worked on her case. He explained that plans were in place to airlift her to AIIMS Delhi or Bhubaneswar once her condition stabilised. However, her injuries proved fatal.
Sundargarh SP Amritpal Kaur revealed that Shruti endured prolonged harassment, which drove her to the drastic step. Her mother recalled waking up to her screams in the early hours of December 5, finding her engulfed in flames.
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