Kendrapara: A police official in Odisha's Kendrapara district has been transferred amid serious allegations of negligence in a case involving the death of a 20-year-old girl who allegedly died by suicide after being blackmailed.

The Kendrapara Superintendent of Police (SP) has transferred Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sailendra Narayan Palai of Pattamundai Police Station to the district police headquarters. Palai is accused of failing to act on a complaint lodged by the victim’s family.

The deceased, a final-year Plus-III student of Pattamundai College, reportedly set herself on fire by pouring kerosene over her body. She later succumbed to critical burn injuries. While the exact reason behind her tragic step is still under investigation, serious claims of police inaction have emerged.

According to the victim’s father, a youth had been blackmailing his daughter for months, threatening to leak her private photos and videos. Despite repeated requests, the police did not initiate any concrete action. The ASI allegedly told the girl to simply block the accused's number. A formal complaint was filed at the Pattamundai police station six months ago.

The DGP has instructed the Kendrapara SP to personally visit the site and review the situation. The police have assured that all aspects of the case, including the alleged blackmail, prior complaint, and the official's role, will be thoroughly probed.