Balasore, Jul 16: A shocking incident at FM Autonomous College has triggered statewide outrage after a second-year B.Ed student attempted self-immolation on campus, allegedly due to prolonged harassment by her Head of Department (HoD), Samir Kumar Sahoo.

The 20-year-old student, now deceased, had sustained over 90% burns. Her father, devastated and furious, has accused the college authorities of forcing his daughter into suicide, claiming it was not a voluntary act but a “murder disguised as suicide.”

In a media statement, he alleged that HoD Samir Sahoo had been mentally and sexually harassing his daughter for months, threatening to fail her over attendance issues unless she complied with his demands. “My daughter was strong, trained in self-defence, and socially active. She didn’t die by suicide — she was driven to it,” he said.

The father further claimed that the college principal, Dillip Ghose, pressured the student to withdraw her complaint filed with the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) on July 1. “She was told the ICC found her allegations baseless and was threatened with rustication,” he added.

Moments after meeting the principal on July 12, the student poured petrol on herself and set herself ablaze outside his office. The incident occurred during a student protest demanding action against the accused HoD.

Following the incident, the Odisha Higher Education Department suspended both the principal and HoD. Samir Sahoo has been arrested and is under investigation for sexual harassment and abetment of suicide. Later, the college principal was also arrested.

A three-member inquiry panel has begun probing the case, examining administrative lapses and the role of the ICC. The case has sparked widespread demands for justice.

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