The 20-year-old college student from Balasore, Odisha, who self-immolated after alleging sexual harassment by a professor, was cremated in her native village of Bhogorai on Tuesday. A pall of gloom descended upon the village as relatives and friends gathered to bid her farewell. The second-year Integrated B.Ed student from Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore succumbed to her injuries late Monday night at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, three days after the incident. She had suffered 95% burns.

The student took the extreme step on Saturday, reportedly distressed over inaction regarding her complaints against the accused professor. She had accused the head of the education department of repeated harassment and academic manipulation, claiming he threatened to fail her if she did not comply with his advances. Prior to the self-immolation, the student had submitted multiple written complaints to the college administration.

The horrifying incident, captured on CCTV, sparked massive outrage among students, women's groups, and political leaders across Odisha. Protests erupted, with Congress workers demonstrating outside the hospital and BJD leaders accusing authorities of a cover-up. Demands for the resignation of Odisha's Higher Education Minister and Chief Minister have grown.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over her death and assured that all those responsible would face the strictest punishment under the law. He stated that he had personally issued instructions to the authorities and that the government stands firmly with the family.

The Department of Burn Centre at AIIMS Bhubaneswar issued a statement saying that despite "adequate resuscitation and all possible supportive management, including renal replacement therapy at the Burns ICU, she could not be revived and was declared clinically dead at 11:46 pm on July 14".

In the wake of the student's death, police arrested Dilip Ghosh, the principal of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College. He was suspended amid reports that he shielded the accused professor and even threatened the victim with rustication. The accused professor was arrested soon after the girl self-immolated.

Another male student who attempted to save her also suffered serious injuries. The Odisha government has placed the college principal and the assistant professor under suspension. Opposition BJD and Congress have staged demonstrations in Bhubaneswar, demanding the resignation of the Odisha Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister.

The victim's father stated that his daughter had been harassed by the professor for the last six months, citing her low attendance. He said his daughter wanted him to lodge an FIR with local police last week as she did not trust the inquiry process of the college authorities into her sexual harassment allegations. The student had also apprised the Chief Minister, Union Education Minister, National Commission for Women, and district police officials about her plight.