Bhubaneswar: The BJD leaders and supporters staged a protest in front of the Balanga police station, demanding immediate arrest of the accused involved in setting ablaze a 15-year-old girl in Puri district. Holding party flags, posters and banners, the BJD workers marched to the police station and scuffled with police personnel while trying to gherao the building.

“More than 24 hours have passed since the barbaric incident but the culprits have not yet been arrested,” BJD leader and former minister Tukuni Sahu said. She alleged that incidents of violence against girls are happening one after another in Odisha as the government has failed to protect them.

“We came to the police station to know the whereabouts of the persons who tried to kill the girl. The police are still clueless,” said Pradeep Kumar Majhi, another BJD leader.

Similarly, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Srikant Jena said, “The back-to-back incidents — first in Balasore and now in Balanga — show that law and order situation has completely collapsed in the State. Women and girls are safe nowhere in the State.” Jena alleged that the incident happened in the home turf of Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida but she is yet to visit the victim or her family. The State government has no moral right to continue, he said.

The BJP leader, Samir Ranjan Dash, said the police are continuing their investigation into the incident. “We all are hopeful that the accused persons will be arrested soon,” he said. The police have picked up some persons and are interrogating them in connection with the case, a police officer said.