A 20-year-old BEd student from FM Autonomous College in Balasore tragically passed away from burn injuries on Monday, just days after attempting self-immolation during a protest against alleged sexual harassment by a senior faculty member.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi officially announced the death of the 20-year-old student on Tuesday.
The victim, a second-year BEd student at FM Autonomous College, had attempted self-immolation on July 12 after alleging sexual harassment by a senior faculty member and the inaction of the college administration.
Following her death, a post-mortem was performed at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, and her body was sent back to her native village in Bhogorai, Balasore, for cremation.
A sense of sorrow enveloped the village as relatives and friends gathered to pay their respects.
The student had been receiving intensive treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar after suffering 90% burn injuries.
Despite being placed on mechanical ventilation and undergoing continuous resuscitation efforts, including renal replacement therapy, doctors pronounced her clinically dead at 11:46 PM on July 14.
The victim had set herself on fire outside the college gate during a protest that had been ongoing since July 1. Students had been peacefully advocating for action against the head of the education department, whom she accused of repeated harassment and academic manipulation.
Before her self-immolation, the girl had submitted several written complaints to the college administration.
She alleged that the faculty member had threatened to fail her in exams if she did not acquiesce to his advances, yet no significant action was taken by the authorities.
The shocking act, which was recorded on CCTV, sparked widespread outrage among students, women’s groups, and political leaders throughout Odisha.
A male student who attempted to rescue her also suffered burn injuries in the incident. The shocking event was captured on CCTV, sparking significant outrage among students, women’s organizations, and political figures throughout Odisha.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the assistant professor was arrested and suspended after initial investigations suggested potential wrongdoing.
(Newsroom staff only edited this story for style from a syndicated feed)
