India, July 19 -- A 15-year-old girl was set on fire by miscreants in Odisha's Puri district on Saturday, an incident which comes close on the heels of the Balasore self-immolation case in which a college student set self ablaze over alleged inaction on her sexual harassment complaint against a teacher.

The 15-year-old girl was rushed to AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a critical condition, news agency PTI quoted officials as saying.

Three miscreants set the girl on fire in Bayabar village while she was going to her friend's house, eyewitnesses cited in the report said, adding they fled the spot after the incident.

Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida, who is in charge of the women and child development department, confirmed the incident in an X ...