Bhubaneswar, May 15: A major tragedy was averted near Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on Friday afternoon after a woman allegedly attempted self-immolation by pouring petrol on herself in front of the state secretariat.

According to sources, the woman had arrived near Gate No. 1 of Lok Seva Bhavan carrying a vanity bag containing a petrol bottle and a matchbox. While she was standing near the entrance, an alert SSB jawan on duty reportedly asked her to move away from the spot due to security concerns.

However, moments later, the woman suddenly took out the petrol bottle from her bag and poured the fuel on herself, creating panic in the area. As she attempted to set herself on fire, the SSB jawan acted swiftly and managed to snatch away the petrol bottle and matchbox before she could ignite the flames.

Soon after the incident, personnel from the Capital Police reached the spot and took the woman into custody for her safety. She was later shifted to Capital Hospital for medical examination and counselling.

The woman alleged that she had been mentally harassed by Banpur police, claiming she was detained without any valid reason. Police are currently verifying her allegations and investigating the circumstances that led to the incident.

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