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Family, village of the victim mourns her death
A girl student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, who set herself ablaze on campus after alleging sexual harassment by a senior faculty member, succumbed to her injuries late on July 14 at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
Her death has sparked widespread outrage, arrests of top college officials, and high-level interventions by the state. However, there lies a string of allegations and claims that drove her to take the extreme step.
The sequence of events began on June 30, when the student reportedly met the college principal, Dillip Ghosh, inside his chamber to formally raise allegations of sexual harassment against Sameer Ranjan Sahoo, the Head of the Education Department.
As per the complaint, the faculty member had allegedly demanded sexual favours and threatened to ruin her academic future with backlogs if she did not comply.
The student’s father later alleged that she was threatened with six years of academic backlog and mentally tortured into withdrawing her complaint. He claimed she was further warned that expulsion would follow if she did not retract the allegations.
Despite the seriousness of her charges, students say the administration allegedly took no visible action.
On July 1, the student reportedly posted on social media about her ordeal. A day later, on July 2, she allegedly issued a public warning that she would take an extreme step if her plea for justice continued to be ignored.
Her friends claim she had repeatedly informed the college authorities and internal committees, but no concrete steps were taken, leading her to believe she had no other option left.
On the morning of July 12, during a student protest in front of the principal’s office, the victim reportedly poured petrol over herself and set herself on fire. College students and staff rushed to the spot and attempted to douse the flames. She was initially taken to the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital.
Later that afternoon, due to the severity of her injuries, the girl was transferred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Doctors confirmed she had sustained 90-95% burns. Her respiratory system and kidneys were severely damaged, likely due to extensive fire-related inhalation and deep tissue injury.
Upon admission, a dedicated eight-member medical panel was formed at AIIMS Bhubaneswar to oversee her critical care. The team included specialists in nephrology, pulmonology, surgery, anaesthesia, and critical care. She was put on ventilator support, and dialysis began after signs of renal failure.
Doctors said she was also being treated in consultation with AIIMS Delhi specialists via video conferencing. Her potassium levels had dropped dangerously low, and measures were taken to administer essential micronutrients and antibiotics to prevent sepsis.
Despite all efforts, the hospital later confirmed that her internal organs had suffered irreparable damage, and her survival chances were extremely slim.
By the evening of July 12, the Higher Education Department suspended Principal Dillip Ghosh and HOD Sameer Ranjan Sahoo. Hours later, Sameer Sahoo was arrested by Sahadevkhunta police based on the student’s allegations.
A three-member high-level inquiry committee was constituted by the state government to probe the allegations and assess the college administration’s role. Simultaneously, an internal probe began inside the FM College campus.
On July 13, students continued their protest demanding the arrest of Principal Ghosh and justice for the victim.
On July 14, Principal Dillip Ghosh was arrested. That same day, President Droupadi Murmu made a visit to AIIMS Bhubaneswar to check on the student’s condition. She was accompanied by Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
At 11:46 PM on July 14, after battling for nearly 60 hours, the girl was declared clinically dead. AIIMS Bhubaneswar confirmed that despite renal replacement therapy and all available critical care measures, she could not be revived. Her body had suffered extensive internal damage, and multiple organ failure led to her death.
The victim’s mother, in a public statement, claimed that her daughter had not attempted suicide but was "set on fire" after facing prolonged mental harassment and torture by the college authorities. She demanded capital punishment for both the principal and the HOD.
The call now lies with the Odisha government, which has assured the harshest of punishments for any and everyone found as an accomplice to the girl’s death, following the outcome of its report.
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