A 57-year-old high school teacher was arrested in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Saturday for allegedly sexually abusing his daughter for years, even after her marriage, police said. The 22-year-old woman set herself on fire at her in-laws’ house on Thursday and suffered 75 per cent burn injuries, according to authorities.
She was later shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar after her condition became critical. The disclosure of the abuse came when the victim named her father and two others during the recording of her statement at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, said Additional Superintendent of Police (Berhampur) Alok Jena. The father was arrested based on prima facie evidence against him, Jena added.
Victim’s Allegations and Immediate Provocation
The woman alleged that her father had been sexually abusing her before her marriage and continued to assault her even after she got married, the ASP said. Regarding the immediate trigger for the suicide attempt, Jena explained that the accused had borrowed Rs 10 lakh from the victim’s father-in-law but failed to repay the amount. The father-in-law then asked the victim to demand the money from her father. When she did so, the accused allegedly blackmailed her and threatened to make her intimate pictures public, following which she took the extreme step.
Investigation and Evidence
Police seized two mobile phones—one belonging to the father and the other to the victim—for investigation. A scientific team visited the crime scene and collected physical and material evidence, Jena said. A case has been registered at the Nimakhandi police station. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining the phones and other evidence to build a strong case against the accused.
