A youth allegedly set his girlfriend’s house on fire after she refused his marriage proposal in Odisha’s Bhadrak district, police said on Wednesday.
The incident took place at Anandpur village under Dhamnagar block of the district. The accused, identified as Jyoti Ranjan Das (28), a resident of Vidyadharpur village under Chudakuti Panchayat, has been absconding since the incident, police said and added that nobody was injured in the incident.
Jyoti was in a relationship with a woman from Gopal Sahi under Anandpur Panchayat. He had been persistently pressuring her to marry him and allegedly threatened to leak pictures of their private moments if she did not agree, the victim alleged.
The woman lodged a complaint with Dhamnagar police, stating that Jyoti had also issued death threats and tried to coerce her into meeting him multiple times.
The situation took a dangerous turn when Jyoti allegedly set her house on fire. “The fire destroyed five sheds and reduced all valuables, including gold jewellery, furniture, rice, and important documents, to ashes,” she claimed. Property worth Rs 15 lakh was destroyed in the fire, she added.
Following the complaint, Dhamnagar police registered a case and began an investigation. However, the accused fled the area, prompting the woman and her family to demand his immediate arrest.
“The accused is a threat to our safety. If not apprehended soon, he might commit further heinous acts,” the victim told reporters.
