The tragic death of a 20-year-old college student in Balasore, Odisha, has sparked widespread outrage and raised serious questions about institutional accountability and the handling of sexual harassment complaints in educational institutions. The student, enrolled in the Integrated B.Ed program at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, died on Monday night at AIIMS Bhubaneswar after setting herself ablaze on July 12. She had accused a professor of sexual harassment and alleged that her complaints were ignored by college authorities.
The victim had filed a formal police complaint on July 1 against an assistant professor for sexual harassment, a day after reporting the matter to the college principal and tagging state authorities in a social media post. Students had been protesting since then, demanding action. The day of her self-immolation marked the eighth day of agitation. According to reports, despite lodging a formal complaint and seeking help from the principal, her pleas were ignored, leading to the tragic incident.
Following the incident, the accused professor, Samir Sahu, and the college principal, Dillip Kumar Ghosh, have been arrested. Ghosh has been sent to 14-day judicial custody. Police are investigating alleged financial coercion, the role of other faculty members, and a possible administrative cover-up.
The young woman's death has triggered a public reckoning over emergency response and fire safety awareness. Former chief fire officer Bhabagrahi Ghadei said that spraying water and covering her with a thick, wet cloth could have minimised the flames. He added that rolling her on the ground or covering her would have saved her from deeper burns. Medical experts noted that the severity of her injuries worsened because she ran while on fire. The victim had suffered 95% burns and was initially admitted to Balasore District Headquarters Hospital before being shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced Rs 20 lakh in interim compensation for the family and promised the "strictest action" against those responsible. Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati vowed "uncompromising punishment". Majhi directed officers concerned to conduct a proper investigation into the incident so that all guilty are punished in accordance with the law.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has formed a four-member fact-finding committee to investigate the suicide. The committee is tasked with examining the incident, evaluating the institution's compliance with regulatory provisions, and recommending measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. The committee will be headed by Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Professor Raj Kumar Mittal. The UGC has requested a detailed report with findings and recommendations within seven days.
The National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Women have taken cognisance of the matter. The Crime Against Women and Children Wing of Odisha's Crime Branch of Police is conducting a separate investigation.
Opposition parties have called for a bandh on July 17 to protest the incident. Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said the girl was denied justice at every level.
This tragedy has brought renewed attention to the issue of sexual harassment in educational institutions in India and the need for better preventive measures and support systems for victims.
