Odisha college student dies by suicide after cops don’t act on blackmail complaint

Her father alleged that she filed a police complaint against the man with the local police station six months ago, but no action was taken

Published on: Aug 6, 2025, 20:37:53 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: A 19-year-old college student in Odisha’s Kendrapara set herself on fire after the police didn’t act on her complaints of blackmail by a male friend, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Wednesday when the woman’s parents were away (FILE IMAGE)

The woman poured kerosene on herself at home and set herself ablaze when her parents were away on Wednesday morning. Police said the woman had been in a relationship with a man in the past who had been blackmailing her using her private photos and videos.

Her father alleged that she had filed a formal police complaint against the man with the local police station six months ago, but the Pattamundai rural police station hadn’t acted on her complaint. Instead, he said, one police officer told his daughter to block the man’s phone number.

Kendrapara superintendent of police Siddhrath Kataria who visited the spot and talked to the girl’s family members said police will look into all aspects while probing the incident. Police have registered a case of unnatural death.

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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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