2023 VSSUT student death case: Male friend Pritiman Dey arrested

Following the death of Sambalpur University student Chinmayee Sahu in March 2023, Burla Police today arrested her male acquaintance, Pritiman Dey. 

The victim’s family members had accused her male friend, Pritiman Dey, of being involved in her untimely death. They claimed that Dey’s father, who held a high-ranking position in the government at the time, could have influenced the investigation. Seeking justice, Chinmayee’s family approached the Orissa High Court, demanding Dey’s arrest and a thorough investigation into the case. Consequently, the court has instructed the Superintendent of Police to deliver a comprehensive report on the case within two weeks. 

Background Of The Case

The death of Chinmayee Priyadarshini Sahu, a student of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) in Burla has been the subject of extensive investigation and public interest. Chinmayee, a student of the Information Technology department of VSSUT, Burla in Sambalpur attended the University’s convocation program on February 28, 2023. Later, she had gone to the Power Channel Bridge in Burla with her friend and reportedly went missing after falling into the channel. Her body was fished out on March 1. The family members of Chinmaye alleged that she had been murdered as there were some injury marks around her neck

Forensic Findings

Viscera test report found the presence of ethyl alcohol. It also corroborated the fact that Chinmayee consumed alcohol before her death. We have also seized CCTV footage in which two persons were spotted consuming liquor at a hotel. The diatom report of the deceased mentioned that the death was caused by drowning.