FM College girl student death: Odisha Crime Branch submits 349-page chargesheet

In a major development in the Balasore FM College girl student self-immolation case, the Crime Branch submitted a 349-page chargesheet on Tuesday in the SDJM Court, Balasore.

Also Read: FM College tragedy: Odisha Crime Branch zeroes in on critical leads

The chargesheet includes testimonies from 120 witnesses and has been filed against four accused, all of whom are currently in judicial custody.

Odisha’s Crime Branch’s three-member team submitted the detailed report after weeks of investigation. Those named in the chargesheet include Sameer Kumar Sahoo, the Head of Department (HOD), and Dillip Ghosh, the former principal of FM College, both of whom had been arrested earlier.

In addition, a current student and a former student of the FM College have also been named and arrested in connection with the case.

The case had shocked the State after the victim, a girl student of FM College, had attempted self-immolation on June 12, reportedly over sustained harassment and inaction. She later succumbed to her injuries while undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

The chargesheet marks a significant step forward in the legal proceedings and signals that the Crime Branch is pushing for a swift trial. The incident has reignited debates over student safety and institutional accountability across Odisha.

Worth mentioning, several vital leads and digital evidence had been collected by the probe team. A ‘proper probe’ was underway, the Crime Branch Director General (DG) Vinaytosh Mishra had previously said in a presser on July 20.

“We have collected substantial evidence, and the detailed investigation is still in progress,” Mishra had stated. He further added that some individuals who had earlier given statements have now changed their versions, adding a new twist to the ongoing probe.

“Our responsibility is to identify those who are directly or indirectly linked to the case. The number of witnesses in this case is many. Acting on a written complaint made by the girl, the college authorities had conducted a probe and found nothing against the accused, following which the incident occurred,” the senior cop had stated.

Reported By: Chandrakant Jena