Balasore Student Dies After Self-Immolation Over Sexual Harassment Complaint Inaction

The 20-year-old girl, a second-year Integrated B.Ed student of Odisha’s Balasore-based Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, who had attempted self-immolation and was being treated at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, succumbed to her injuries late Monday night. She had taken this extreme step after inaction on her complaint against sexual harassment.

On Tuesday morning, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar, in a statement, confirmed that the patient who was brought to casualty on July 12, referred by Balasore District Headquarters Hospital, passed away around 11:46 pm yesterday.

“She was admitted to the Burns Centre ICU. The patient was resuscitated with IV fluids, IV antibiotics, intubated and put on mechanical ventilation. Despite adequate resuscitation and all possible supportive management, including renal replacement therapy at the Burns ICU, she could not be revived and was declared clinically dead at 11:46 pm on July 14,” the statement read.

After the statement surfaced, Mohan Charan Majhi, Odisha Chief Minister, expressed his grief and gave assurance that the family and the deceased will get justice and that the guilty will be punished.

Sharing a post on X, Chief Minister Majhi wrote, “I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the demise of the female student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College. Despite the government’s fulfilment of all responsibilities and the tireless efforts of the expert medical team, the victim’s life could not be saved. I pray for the eternal peace of her departed soul and beseech Lord Jagannath to grant strength to her family to bear this irreparable loss.”

He also added, “I assure the family of the deceased student that all those guilty in this case will face the strictest punishment as per the law. For this, I have personally issued instructions to the authorities. The government stands firmly with the family.”

Post the confirmation of the death of the woman, opposition party BJD’s workers staged protests, and earlier on Monday, the Principal of the college, Dillip Ghose, was suspended and arrested for safeguarding the HOD of the department, who sexually assaulted the woman.

Following the outrage in the state, a two-member team of CBI has been formed for investigation.

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