Bhubaneswar: In a significant breakthrough in the Pattamundai girl death case, police have detained the prime accused from Chennai. The accused, a male friend of the deceased, has been identified as Pramod Behera, a resident of Teroi village under Bilikana panchayat in Kendrapara district.

He is being brought to Kendrapara for further investigation.

The case pertains to the death of a 20-year-old final-year Plus-III student of Pattamundai College in Kendrapara. On August 6, she allegedly poured kerosene over herself and set herself ablaze. She later succumbed to severe burn injuries.

According to the girl’s father, she had been under immense mental stress due to continuous blackmail by a youth, who had been threatening to leak her private photos and videos. The family had alleged that the accused was exploiting her for months.

Acting on the complaint, the police launched a manhunt and managed to trace Pramod to Chennai. The development is expected to shed more light on the circumstances leading to the girl’s death.