A 20-year-old B.Ed student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore, who set herself on fire on Saturday, succumbed to burn injuries at AIIMS Bhubaneswar late Monday night. She had accused her professor of sexual harassment and took the extreme step after the college’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) cleared him of wrongdoing, sparking statewide outrage.
🔥 Timeline of Tragedy
- July 12: Victim sets herself on fire outside the principal’s chamber.
- July 14: Declared clinically dead at 11:46 PM despite intensive treatment.
- July 15: AIIMS issues medical bulletin.
- July 13-15: Protests erupt across Odisha; arrests made.
🚨 The Allegations
The student accused Samir Kumar Sahu, head of the Education Department, of:
- Repeated sexual advances
- Threats to fail her
- Public humiliation
- Inciting classmates to mock her
Despite reporting the matter to the college, police, NCW, and top BJP leaders, she received no effective redressal. Her family says she attempted suicide twice before and had no faith in the college’s internal probe.
⚖️ Institutional Failure
- The ICC was formed only after protests.
- It cleared the professor without a thorough probe.
- Students say the committee’s investigation was perfunctory and biased.
- Principal Dilip Ghosh allegedly threatened her with rustication and pressured her to withdraw her complaint.
🧑⚖️ Action So Far
- Professor Sahu and Principal Ghosh have been arrested.
- NCW took suo motu cognizance and demanded a full report.
- Odisha government directed all colleges to set up ICC panels within 24 hours.
🗣️ Top Reactions
- CM Mohan Charan Majhi: “Strictest punishment will be ensured.”
- President Droupadi Murmu visited the victim at AIIMS, met her parents.
- Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati: “Students’ safety and dignity must be protected.”
- Protests: Youth wings of BJD, Congress, and student bodies launched statewide agitations.
💬 Victim’s Father Speaks
“My daughter told me—they won’t let me live in peace. They broke her spirit,” he said, describing her prolonged trauma, repeated pleas, and the utter failure of the system to protect her.
📢 What’s Next?
- CID and Balasore police continue the investigation.
- Demands are rising for the resignation of Higher Education Minister Suraj Suryabanshi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
- Civil society and women’s rights groups are planning a statewide march for justice.
👉 This case is a chilling indictment of how institutions meant to protect students can fail spectacularly, leading to irreversible tragedies. Calls for systemic reform, accountability, and justice are growing louder by the hour.