A 57-year-old teacher was taken into custody on Saturday in Ganjam district, Odisha, accused of years of sexual abuse against his daughter, even after her marriage, according to police sources.

The 22-year-old woman reportedly set herself ablaze at her in-laws’ residence on Thursday, sustaining severe burns covering 75 percent of her body. She was later transferred to a Bhubaneswar hospital due to her deteriorating condition.

According to Alok Jena, the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Berhampur, the allegations surfaced when the victim named her father and two others while giving her statement at MKCG Medical College and Hospital. The police acted on preliminary evidence to arrest the father.

The woman claimed that her father had been abusing her before her marriage and continued to do so afterwards. When questioned about the circumstances leading to her suicide attempt, Jena explained that the accused had borrowed ₹10 lakh from her father-in-law but had not returned it.

The victim confronted her father about repaying the debt upon her father-in-law’s request. In response, he allegedly blackmailed her with threats to make private photos public, prompting her to take drastic action.

Investigators have seized two mobile phones—one belonging to the father and the other to the victim—as part of their inquiry. A forensic team has also visited the scene to gather physical and material evidence, and a case has been filed at the Nimakhandi police station.