A 22-year-old girl suffered massive burn injuries as two unidentified youths threw acid on her at Salepur in Cuttack district on Tuesday afternoon.
The local police said one Satyabhama Sethy of Kusumbi village was on her way to a computer academy in nearby Kajipatna when the incident took place at around 3.30 pm.
The girl was immediately rushed to the SCB Medical College Hospital here where doctors say the girl has suffered about 50 per cent burn injuries.
Quoting locals, police said the youths had covered their faces with helmets and escaped from the spot immediately before anyone could react to the act. Unable to bear the burning sensation, the girl reportedly plunged into a nearby pond for relief, sources said.
While it was not immediately ascertained about the motive behind the ghastly act, locals said it could have been the act of a jilted lover, who was spurned by the girl.