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Odisha: 2 more arrested in Balasore college student’s self-immolation case
A Fakir Mohan College student in Balasore allegedly self-immolated on July 12 after her harassment complaint was dismissed; she died on July 14.
Two more people have been arrested in Odisha’s Balasore district for allegedly abetting the self-immolation of a 20-year-old college student, news agency PTI reported on Monday, citing police.
The state police’s Crime Branch apprehended the duo late on Sunday in connection with the woman’s death last month, a senior officer confirmed.
The student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore allegedly set herself ablaze on July 12 after an internal enquiry committee failed to validate her sexual harassment complaint. She died two days later, on July 14.
Also Read | Odisha student dies after self-immolation. Why did she take the extreme step?
“The arrested persons are Jyoti Prakash Biswal, a student of the college, who had sustained burn injuries in an attempt to save the woman, and Subhra Sambait Nayak, the state joint secretary of a student organisation,” the officer said.
Biswal had recently been discharged from SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack following treatment for his injuries. The arrests took place late Sunday night at the respective residences of the accused, PTI quoted officer as saying.
Previously, Samira Kumar Sahoo, an assistant professor, and the college’s former principal, Dillip Ghose, had also been arrested in connection with the case.
According to an earlier PTI report, classes resumed on July 21 after a 10-day hiatus, with students attending as usual. The Crime Branch continued its investigation into the events leading up to the student’s self-immolation and her death at AIIMS Bhubaneswar two days later.
“Only Crime Branch people had visited the campus today (July 22) and recorded statements of some staff and certain students,” Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in-charge principal Firoz Kumar Padhi told reporters.
Deceased student’s peers back professor she accused
Less than a week after a 20-year-old B.Ed student at a Balasore college attempted self-immolation in protest against alleged harassment and institutional inaction, and three days after her death, it has come to light that the majority of her classmates had supported the professor she had accused.
Hindustan Times earlier reported that 71 out of 100 classmates had signed a letter dated July 1 – over a week before her extreme step – backing Dr Samir Kumar Sahoo, the head of the Department of Teacher Education at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College. The two-page letter, written in Odia, described the woman’s complaint as false and hailed Sahoo as a “great teacher who is known for his amiable ways.” The letter was reportedly submitted a day after she lodged her complaint with the then-principal Dilip Ghose, alleging sexual harassment and mental torture.
In the letter, the students also alleged that the complainant made the accusation only after being debarred from sitting for the internal exam due to poor attendance.
The woman’s brother claimed the letter was part of a broader attempt to obstruct a fair investigation. “All attempts were made to assassinate the character of my sister after she lodged the complaint, both inside the college and through social media platforms. When all attempts were made to sway sentiment, how can the ICC probe be fair? That’s why my sister lost all hopes of getting justice,” he said.
Recalling the events of July 12, her friend said she had briefly stepped away for lunch and returned to find the student on fire. “I am sure the principal said something that hurt her, pushing her to take such a drastic step. She was broken and exhausted,” the friend said.
Her roommate added that the woman had appeared extremely anxious the night before her death. “When I woke up at 3 am, I found her awake. She was very upset of not being allowed to write the internal exam on June 30 over low attendance though she attended classes. She told me that the head of department was picking on her. She was very upset over the comments made on her character on social media by student wings of the Biju Janata Dal and the Congress (National Students’ Union of India). Ironically, the same students now speak of justice for her,” the roommate recounted.
