TV
The Head of Education Department of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Sameer Ranjan Sahoo, has come under the spotlight after a girl student’s death who set herself ablaze on campus over alleged harassment by the senior faculty member.
Her death has sparked widespread outrage with the arrest of the accused professor and the principal. Meanwhile, a string of allegations and claims are coming out against the professor who is alleged to have links with a senior BJD leader.
Students and former alumni have accused Sahoo of favouritism towards female students and discrimination against male students in his teaching practices, claiming that his actions created an environment of bias and resentment on campus.
“He was a ‘Casanova’ from the beginning when he was working as a junior lecturer in Champua College. He would ignore male students and only focus on female students,” alleged a former student, Dinabandhu Kar. As per reports, Sahoo would allegedly demand sexual favours from girl students and threaten to ruin their academic future with backlogs if they did not comply.
He had done the same to the deceased girl. She was threatened with six years of academic backlog and mentally tortured into withdrawing her complaint against him. The victim's father claimed she was 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.
Political Connections Under Scrutiny
According to Dinabandhu Kar, a former student of FM College, complaints about Mr. Sahoo’s conduct were repeatedly ignored by authorities. Kar alleges that this inaction stems from Sahoo’s purported connections with senior leaders of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
“His proximity to influential political figures gave him a sense of impunity. No one dared to question his behaviour openly,” Kar said. This alleged political backing has sparked outrage among students, many of whom feel their grievances were deliberately sidelined.
Meanwhile, the girl student’s death has reignited concerns over political interference in educational institutions and the lack of mechanisms to hold faculty accountable.
Calls for Action
Students and activists have demanded an impartial inquiry into the matter, asserting that no educator should enjoy immunity due to political ties, especially when allegations involve discriminatory practices that affect students’ futures.
