The Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Thursday recorded the statement of a person who suffered burn injuries while trying to save a 20-year-old student who died after immolating herself over alleged sexual harassment, official sources said.
The Crime Branch on Wednesday took over the investigation into the death of the student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore.
Two officers of the Crime Branch visited SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack where Jyotiranjan Biswal, who was injured in his bid to save the student, is undergoing treatment, they said.
He is the lone available eyewitness who would be able to throw light on what actually happened on the college campus on July 12 when the woman set herself on fire, they said.
She died while undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday night.
While the woman student suffered 95 percent burn injuries, Biswal suffered 15 percent burns.
The Crime Branch officials asked Jyotiprakash about the sequence of events, whether she poured petrol on her or somebody poured or supplied the inflammable to the student, the sources said.
"This question is vital as the deceased student's mother alleged that she doubts someone else set her daughter on fire," an official said. -- PTI