Odisha College Student Dies After Self-Immolation Over Sexual Harassment Complaint; State Erupts In Protests

A 20-year-old student at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, Odisha, who had tried to kill herself by self-immolation on Saturday to protest against the alleged negligence on her case of sexual harassment, died of her injuries late Monday night at AIMS Bhubaneswar.

According to AIIMS officials, the student was brought in on July 12 in critical condition. A statement from the hospital read, “Despite adequate resuscitation and all possible supportive management… she could not be revived and was declared clinically dead at 11:46 PM on July 14.”

The victim, a second-year B.Ed (Integrated) student and an active member of the ABVP, had accused the head of the education department, Samir Kumar Sahu, of making repeated sexual advances and threatening to fail her if she didn’t comply. Despite reaching out to top officials including CM Mohan Charan Majhi and union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan through social media and formal letters, her pleas reportedly went unanswered.

On Saturday, the student set herself ablaze just outside the principal’s chamber after the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) gave a clean chit to the accused professor. Her father, a college clerk, alleged that his daughter had lost faith in the college’s investigation, which he described as a “sham.”

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief and vowed strict action, posting on X, “I assure the family that all those guilty will face the strictest punishment as per the law.”

President Droupadi Murmu visited the victim in the AIIMS burns ward before her passing and met her parents, offering support. Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati urged the state to act with urgency and empathy, stating on X, “The safety, mental well-being, and dignity of students must be protected at all times.”

Following her death, protests erupted across Odisha. BJD’s student wing demonstrated at Fakir Mohan College, while Congress leaders gheraoed the Balasore district collector’s office. Opposition parties also attempted to gherao CM Majhi’s residence demanding the resignation of higher education minister Suraj Suryabanshi and union education minister Pradhan.

Both the accused professor Sahu and college principal Dilip Ghosh have been arrested. Ghosh was suspended after reports suggested he threatened the victim with rustication and pressured her to withdraw her complaint.

The National Commission for Women took suo motu cognizance on July 13 and demanded an action report within three days. The Odisha government has now ordered all educational institutions to form ICCs within 24 hours and display contact details publicly.

A friend of the victim told Hindustan Times, “The college did not even have a complaint committee till recently. After our protest, they formed one, but the probe was superficial. The principal never supported her.”

Higher education officials noted flaws in the ICC’s investigation, describing it as “ambiguous” and lacking seriousness. Students in the committee were absent due to exams, and no counselling was provided to the victim.

The girl’s father told HT that his daughter had twice tried to end her life before. “Sahu kept humiliating her over attendance, despite knowing she had health and family issues. When she asked him to consider this, he asked for sexual favours.”

As the state CID continues its investigation, the incident has sparked a larger conversation about student safety and the functioning of Internal Committees in educational institutions across India.

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