Drunk man sets mother on fire after she refuses him money for alcohol in Odisha

A woman sustained critical burn injuries after she was allegedly set on fire by her son for refusing to give him money to buy alcohol at Galagandapur village under Tihidi Bilana panchayat in Bhadrak district on Thursday. The accused, who was reportedly intoxicated at the time of the incident, is absconded.

According to reports, the woman had nearly 80 per cent burn injuries and was initially taken to Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital before being shifted to AIIMSBhubaneswar, where she remained in critical condition, at the time of reporting. 

The accused son was allegedly stealing from his uncle’s house in the same locality, leading to a heated argument between him and his mother on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, when he returned home in an intoxicated state at around 8 am, he demanded money from his mother. Another altercation followed, during which he reportedly physically assaulted her and set her on fire. 

Villagers Rescue the Victim

Local residents stated that the accused poured a flammable substance on his mother and set her ablaze. Hearing her screams, villagers rushed to the spot and extinguished the flames before rescuing her. 

She was immediately taken to Bhadrak DHH in an ambulance and later shifted to Bhubaneswar due to the severity of her injuries.

Police Begin Investigation

Following the incident, the accused fled the scene. Tihidi IIC Satyabrata Grahacharya reached the spot and initiated an investigation. A forensic team was awaited at the time of reporting. 

Villagers claimed that the accused frequently quarreled with and assaulted his mother. Police efforts were under way to trace the absconding accused.