Critically wounded girl student found in pool of blood after suspected assault in Odisha’s Sambalpur

A girl student, pursuing her postgraduation, was found lying in a pool of blood and with grievous injuries near a roadside shelter in the Metakani area of Burla in Sambalpur on Wednesday afternoon. Police rescued the critically wounded girl and subsequently shifted her to the casualty ward of VIMSAR (Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research) in Burla.

Sources cited preliminary reports and suggested that the girl hailed from Burla and was pursuing the final year of her postgraduate studies at Sambalpur University.

Details of the incident:

Additional reports stated the girl had sustained severe head injuries and was bleeding heavily. According to police sources, the girl was travelling in a group of around ten to twelve people in two auto-rickshaws. However, they all reportedly deboarded at the Metakani area. Later, they brutally assaulted her on the road.

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Police also stated from tip-offs that one of the attackers struck her head with a stone, causing severe bleeding before fleeing towards Sambalpur in the auto-rickshaws.

Police response:

Till the last reports, the motive behind the attack remained clear. However, police had identified the two auto-rickshaws involved using CCTV footage and have begun identifying suspects but no arrests have been made so far.

Meanwhile, Burla police stated that they were collecting important information from the victim’s university and that an investigation was ongoing. Further, they assured that the suspects would be arrested soon.

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No further comments from the police or the family of the victim could be obtained.