Balasore: The Principal and Head of the Education Department at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore were suspended after a female student, who had filed a sexual harassment complaint, allegedly set herself on fire on the campus Saturday.
The Higher Education Department suspended Principal Dillip Ghosh and Education Department HOD Sameer Sahoo, a move confirmed by Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, who said the department is taking necessary steps in response to the incident.
The girl reportedly sustained 90 per cent burn injury. Another student, who attempted to save her, also sustained injury and both were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in Balasore.
Later, the victim was referred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment, police said.
The incident took place this afternoon after the victim woman student, met the principal Ghosh. She had earlier lodged a sexual harassment complaint against a teacher, who is also the head of the department and demanded action against him.
Officials said that the woman was a second-year student of the Integrated B.Ed programme in the college. She had also staged a protest on the college campus for one week, demanding action against the teacher.
Principal Dilip Ghosh said, “The student had come to me and wanted action against the teacher. I counselled her as she looked tense. She had lodged a complaint June 30 and an internal complaint committee (ICC) inquiry was going on.”
The police have meanwhile detained the accused teacher at Sahadevkhunta Police Station in Balasore town, an official said, adding that SP Raj Prasad and a scientific team were investigating the matter on the spot.
Meanwhile, Balasore MLA Manas Dutta, who visited the hospital, said: “The health condition of the woman student is critical. Our first priority is to save her life.”
According to her friends, the woman student was under severe mental stress for the past several days over the alleged harassment by the Head of the department.
Her friends said that her agony was compounded as neither the college authority nor the police took any action against the accused teacher.
The incident has sparked tension on the college campus.
PNN & Agencies
