A shocking incident of violence has rocked Ganighasa village under Lahunipada police limits in Sundaragada district, where masked assailants set a youth ablaze by pouring petrol on him.
The victim, identified as Kahnu Charan Mahanta, who worked with the Forest Department as a mahout, was walking near the local bus stand when two men on a motorcycle allegedly attacked him. They poured petrol and set him on fire before fleeing the scene.
Local residents rushed to rescue Mahanta, first shifting him to Lahunipada hospital and later to the Burns Centre at Raurkela Ispat General Hospital (IGH), where he remains in critical condition.
Police have launched a manhunt to trace the attackers. A scientific team is assisting in the investigation to determine the motive behind the crime.
