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NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
Odisha College Horror Victim's Friend Reveals Months Of Abuse, Harassment
Bhubaneswar: The 20-year-old student in Odisha who set herself on fire, alleging sexual harassment by her college professor, had confided in her friends about what she was going through months before her death. According to a friend of the victim, who spoke to NDTV, the Fakir Mohan College student had been experiencing mental and academic harassment by her Head of Department, Samir Kumar Sahu, for several months. "A few months ago, she confided in me that she was being harassed by her HoD. She revealed that the HOD was deliberately failing her and refusing to clear her backlogs. At that time, she did not want me or anyone else to intervene. However, on June 30th, she gathered us to confront the principal and demand serious action against the HoD, as she was being harassed in class. She told us that the HoD had misbehaved with her in front of others and had blackmailed her, threatening to trap her in this situation at the college for six long years," the friend told NDTV. According to the friend, on June 30, the student, who was in her second year of the integrated course, attempted to mobilise support among her classmates. She wanted a group of them to jointly approach the college principal and demand action against the HoD. The students approached Fakir Mohan College principal Dilip Ghose that day. "The principal said decision-making is a process and asked for more time," the friend said. Twelve days later, the situation escalated. The student again wanted to approach the principal to push for a resolution. However, the campus was crowded due to ongoing admissions. During a 20-minute lunch break, she was left briefly alone. "During lunchtime, we left the campus for about 20 minutes, and in that short time, we received a call informing us that she had been provoked to undergo an 'Agni Pariksha'. I use this term because I believe the principal must have said something that deeply hurt her, pushing her to take such a drastic step. She was completely broken, drained, and exhausted from fighting for justice," the friend told NDTV. The student poured petrol on herself and set herself ablaze outside the principal's office. A fellow student, Jyotiranjan Biswal, attempted to rescue her and suffered 15 per cent burn injuries. The victim, however, sustained 95 per cent burns and died on July 14 at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. According to the friend's account, after the initial complaint against Sahu, the HoD allegedly mobilised the support of nearly 300 students to defend himself, while only 15-20 students stood by the victim. "The HoD manipulated around 300 students to support him. He persuaded nearly 100 students to turn against her. As an active member of the ABVP, she was used as a political tool before the upcoming elections. These students assassinated her character, writing an application to the principal that questioned her integrity and raised accusations against her. Ironically, the same opposition now speaks of justice," the friend told NDTV. Two college officials -- HoD Samir Kumar Sahu and principal Dilip Ghose -- have been arrested on charges including abetment to suicide, sexual harassment, stalking, and outraging the modesty of a woman. Separately, the state government has formed a three-member inquiry panel to probe the case.
News18
3 days ago
- News18
'It Was Her Agni Pariksha': Friend Reveals How Trolling Crushed Balasore Victim's Spirit
Last Updated: The woman said the principal was approached several times to act against the HoD but he, instead, warned the victim of consequences if she failed to prove her complaint The 20-year-old BEd student of Balasore's Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, who set herself on fire over the alleged harassment by her HoD and assistant professor Samir Kumar Sahu, approached her principal several times to share her ordeal but did not get a favourable response. The apathy was revealed by the victim's close friend, who, in an interview with CNN-News18, said: 'The principal asked for some time and took 7–8 days but did nothing. In fact, he warned the victim of consequences if she failed to prove her complaint," she said. The victim's friend said she was trolled by juniors, who called her a 'bad girl" on social media and campus and assassinated her character. 'On June 30, us friends accompanied her for support. She had gone to the principal earlier too, but wasn't heard. On June 30, we all went with her to demand action. The principal asked for 7-8 days but did nothing. The HoD instigated students to defame her." The woman said the victim was 'used as a political tool by opposition student union NSUI" and those showing sympathy now were the same who tarnished her image. Sharing details of the fateful day when the woman self-immolated, her friend said: 'She looked okay and calm in the morning. The fact that she couldn't provide proof pushed her to take the extreme step; it was her Agni Pariksha. However, when we returned from lunch, we saw what she had done. The shaming crushed her spirit. She felt isolated, unheard, and humiliated and took the drastic step." The woman said the fight for justice would not end with the victim's death. 'She did not burn alone—all of us are burning with her today. She taught us that we must always fight for the rights of girls." THE CASE Shocking details of the case have come to the fore after the victim's death, including the apathy of the college administration as well as pressure from some of her own peers who supported the accused. The student, in her complaint to the college's Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) on July 1, had mentioned that the professor had asked for a 'favour" from her, refusal of which invited mental harassment. 'When she (the student) asked him what kind of favour, Sahoo allegedly said, 'You are not a child to not understand what favour I need'," Minati Sethi, a member of the ICC, told a news portal. Upset over being unable to prove her allegations, the student set herself ablaze shortly after coming out of the principal's chamber. She suffered 95 per cent burns and was first admitted to the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital. Later, she was shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment. The accused professor and the principal of the college were arrested in connection with the case. The University Grants Commission has set up a four-member fact-finding team to look into the incident. view comments First Published: July 17, 2025, 08:58 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Hans India
Principal arrested in student suicide bid case
Bhubaneswar: In a major development regarding the heart-wrenching incident of a self-immolation attempt by a student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore, the police on Monday arrested the principal, Dillip Kumar Ghose. He was earlier suspended from his post by the State Higher Education department on Saturday following the self-immolation attempt by the victim, for failing to deal with the matter properly. The action comes amid mounting outrage and growing demand for justice in the high-profile case that has rocked Odisha's education system. The victim poured petrol and set herself ablaze in front of the principal's chamber on Saturday over alleged sexual harassment by Head of Department (HoD) Samir Kumar Sahu. The student, with over 90 per cent burn injuries, was rushed to Balasore Medical College, but was later shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, for advanced treatment. Prior to the self-immolation bid, the victim had staged a sit-in protest near the college campus demanding action against the accused HoD of the BEd department, Samir Kumar Sahu, for alleged misbehaviour. She was very upset as no action was taken against the HoD by the college authorities despite her lodging a formal complaint against Sahu. Sahu was immediately arrested by Sahadev Khunta Police after a case was registered against him under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 108 (abetment to suicide), 75(1)(iii) (sexual harassment), etc. The State's Higher Education department, in the suspension order, said the principal had failed to handle the matter properly and perform his duties. He was accused of shielding Education Department's HoD Samir Kumar Sahu. 'My daughter set herself on fire minutes after coming out of the principal's room. The principal had put pressure on her to withdraw the complaint against the teacher who sexually and mentally harassed my daughter,' her father alleged. A two-member team of the Crime Branch is investigating the incident following outrage across the State. The Education department has also formed a three-member committee to inquire into the incident.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Odisha student battling for life following self-immolation, says sexual assault complaint against professor went unheard
An undergraduate girl student, whose complaint of sexual harassment against an assistant professor went unaddressed, was battling for life following self-immolation in college corridor in Odisha's Balasore district on Saturday (July 12, 2025). Assistant professor Samir Kumar Sahu heading the education department in Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore district was arrested while principal of the college Dilip Ghosh was placed under suspension with the Mohan Majhi government facing intense criticism from Opposition political parties. The girl attempted suicide during a student protest over the inaction on her sexual harassment complaint. She was rushed to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where doctors found she had suffered 90% burn injuries. Two male students, who tried to save her, were also admitted with burn injuries. The situation escalated after the girl repeatedly accused Professor Sahu of sexual harassment, alleging that he had threatened to sabotage her academic record if she did not comply with his demands. Although an internal committee was formed to look into the matter, no concrete action was taken for a prolonged period, sparking student protests. There were allegations that Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi had been informed about the sexual harassment complaint but no action followed. College authorities dismissed the allegations, stating that the internal committee had not found any substantial evidence to support the complaint. Her classmates and other college students charged that there was no student representation in the internal committee while colleagues of accused teachers tried to suppress the matter. Meanwhile, the Higher Education department had constituted a high level inquiry committee to look into all aspects of the incident. The BJD held a press conference holding college authorities, the police, and Mr. Sarangi responsible. The party said the student on July 1 had submitted a written complaint alleging that a lecturer had demanded sexual favours from her. 'However, the principal did not take the allegation seriously. As a result of the principal's inaction, the student was compelled to approach the police. When she failed to get justice there, she personally met Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi and shared her distress. Pratap Sarangi has also admitted this interaction in the media,' the party said. Earlier this year, a Nepalese student was found dead in her hostel room on the campus of a private university after repeated complaints against male classmate were overlooked. (Those in distress or having suicidal thoughts are encouraged to seek help and counselling by calling the helpline numbers here)
