Odisha Student Dies Battling Burns After Self-immolation Over Harassment Row
An undergraduate student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Balasore, Odisha, has passed away battling for several days after attempting self-immolation over alleged sexual harassment by a faculty member. The student was admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar with over 90% burn injuries.
Reportedly, the student made a formal complaint on July 1 against Samir Kumar Sahu, head of the Education Department at her college, for mentally tormenting her in retaliation for declining sexual advances. She claimed that the professor threatened to destroy her academic progress by deliberately failing her to repeat the academic year. However, no step was taken by the college authorities.
Notably, her fellow student also alerted college authorities about her deteriorating mental health and hinted at the possibility of taking an extreme step.
The accused was later arrested after the student set herself on fire and was sent to judicial custody. The state government has also acted against the college principal, Dilip Ghosh, suspending him for alleged negligence in handling the complaint.
Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP government directly of its failure to give justice to the girl, causing her death.
ओडिशा में इंसाफ़ के लिए लड़ती एक बेटी की मौत, सीधे-सीधे BJP के सिस्टम द्वारा की गई हत्या है।
उस बहादुर छात्रा ने यौन शोषण के ख़िलाफ़ आवाज़ उठाई – लेकिन न्याय देने के बजाय, उसे धमकाया गया, प्रताड़ित किया गया, बार-बार अपमानित किया गया।
जिन्हें उसकी रक्षा करनी थी, वही उसे तोड़ते…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 15, 2025
