Odisha bandh over death of college girl paralyses state

The protesters demanded justice for the 20-year-old student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore, who died of self-immolation in protest against alleged sexual harassment by a professor.

Published on: Jul 17, 2025, 11:53:12 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A 12-hour bandh, jointly called by the Congress and seven other opposition parties—CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, CPI(ML), NCP, RJD, and Samajwadi Party—brought daily life to a standstill across multiple districts of Odisha on Thursday.

Congress workers block a railway track during a bandh called by several opposition parties in protest over the death of a college student in Odisha's Balasore. (PTI)

The protesters demanded justice for the 20-year-old student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore, who died of self-immolation in protest against alleged sexual harassment by a professor.

The shutdown disrupted transport and essential services, with major highways and railway stations blocked. In Bhubaneswar, Congress workers obstructed traffic on NH-16, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded. Similar blockades occurred at Jaraka Chhak in Jajpur, Sundargarh, Koraput (NH-26), and Sambalpur, where women protesters staged a rail roko.

Odisha Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das said the bandh received overwhelming public support and reiterated the demand for higher education minister Suraj Suryabanshi’s resignation. Congress leader Ajay Kumar Lallu called the incident “the last nail in the coffin” for the state government, accusing it of suppressing dissent and denying justice.

The protests stemmed from the death of the student at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, days after she set herself on fire in protest against the administration’s inaction to her complaint. Police have since arrested Sanir Kumar Sahu, the head of the education department, and college principal Dilip Ghose.

In Bhubaneswar, tensions flared as Congress workers tried to storm the railway station. Security forces intervened, preventing major disruptions despite minor scuffles. Protesters also burned tyres and blocked roads, triggering severe traffic congestion.

Bus services from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack were suspended early in the day, leaving commuters stranded. Auto-rickshaws and taxis were off the roads in several areas, severely affecting office-goers and daily wage earners.

Though no major violence was reported till noon, the bandh had a widespread impact across both urban and rural parts of the state.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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