Bhubaneswar: The 20-year-old female student of FM (Autonomous) College, Balasore, who set herself ablaze following alleged sexual harassment by a professor and was undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, succumbed to 95 per cent burns she sustained in the incident late Monday night. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed this through a post on X.
Assuring the victim’s family of justice, the CM said that stringent action will be taken against all those involved in the incident. “I have personally issued directions in this regard to the officials concerned. The government stands firm with the victim’s family in this hour of grief,” Majhi said. Earlier in the day, Odisha Police arrested the principal of the institute, while Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati sought a report from the state government. President Droupadi Murmu, who was at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar to attend its 5th Convocation ceremony, paid an unscheduled visit to the burn and plastic surgery department where the student was admitted, and enquired about her condition. The Integrated BEd student of the college in Balasore set herself ablaze on the campus Saturday, alleging inaction over her complaint against the professor.
The student was first admitted to the Balasore DHH and then shifted to AIIMS for advanced treatment. The Higher Education department had set up a three-member committee to probe the incident. Based on the panel’s report, the police Monday arrested the college principal, Dillip Ghose, who was suspended earlier. The woman had gone to the principal’s chamber to learn the fate of her sexual harassment complaint against the English HoD. She set herself afire shortly after coming out of the chamber. The principal was accused of asking the victim to withdraw her allegation against the teacher, as the internal complaint committee did not find any indication of the alleged act.
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