Berhampur, March 28 A 20-year-old woman is alleged to have attempted suicide by setting herself on fire in Odisha's Ganjam district on Saturday, a day after filing a rape complaint, police said.
The woman, who had dropped out of college, reportedly suffered around 50 per cent burn injuries after allegedly pouring kerosene on herself and setting herself on fire behind her house in the Kotinada police station area, they said.
The incident occurred when no one else was at home. She was rescued by her parents and initially taken to a nearby hospital before being transferred to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, where her condition is reported to be critical.
Police said the exact reason behind the alleged suicide attempt is still under investigation.
"We are investigating the matter from various angles," Kotinada police station inspector-in-charge Damodar Bihari said.
According to police, the woman had filed a rape complaint against a man on Friday, and her statement was scheduled to be recorded on Saturday before the incident took place.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the woman had been in a relationship with the accused since 2022, when she was a minor, they said.