Odisha college horror: Student’s self-immolation bid over sexual harassment ignites public outrage

Dubai:  In a tragic and harrowing turn of events, a student at Fakir Mohan College in Odisha’s Balasore district set herself ablaze on campus after allegedly facing months of sexual harassment from her head of department — and repeated inaction from college and police authorities.

The woman, a student enrolled in the integrated B.Ed programme, suffered 95% burn injuries and is now battling for her life at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. A fellow student who tried to save her is also in critical condition with 70% burns, NDTV reported.

According to The Indian Express and NDTV, the student had accused her head of department, Samir Kumar Sahu, of repeatedly demanding sexual favours and threatening to destroy her academic future if she refused. She first submitted a written complaint to the college’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) on June 30, and later filed a police complaint on July 1. However, no action was taken.

Protest, desperation and a horrific act

After over a week of silence from authorities, the student and others began a protest outside the college gate on Saturday. Witnesses said she suddenly left the protest site, ran toward the principal’s office, poured petrol on herself and set herself on fire.

A disturbing video captured the horrifying moment: The woman, engulfed in flames, runs down a corridor as bystanders scream in horror. A man attempts to help her but retreats as his shirt catches fire. She later collapses outside the building, where others rush to extinguish the flames.

College principal Dilip Ghosh confirmed the student had met him earlier that day and expressed extreme mental distress. “She asked me to call Sahu to my office, and I did,” Ghosh told NDTV.

“Both presented their sides. I warned them about the consequences of false statements. Sahu denied everything, but the student stood by her allegations.”

College authorities claim the ICC submitted its report on July 9, more than a week after the complaint, but it failed to recommend any action regarding the sexual harassment allegations.

Arrests, suspensions and outcry

Following the incident, protests on the campus intensified. Under immense public pressure, Samir Kumar Sahu was arrested and sent to judicial custody. The state’s higher education department has also suspended him and the college principal, citing “prima facie evidence” and failure to perform duties.

In an official letter, the Higher Education Department cited that Principal Dilip Kumar Ghose "failed to perform his duties in the capacity of Principal of the college" and stated that the matter was "not handled properly." As a result, he was suspended with immediate effect under sub-rule (2) of Rule 12 of the Odisha Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1962,an ANI report said.

“We will take the strictest possible action,” said Odisha Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj. “A special committee of senior officials and academicians will probe the alleged negligence by the college authorities.”

Balasore SP Raj Prasad confirmed that a special team has been formed to investigate the case. He also revealed that while the student had approached the police on July 1, the department waited for the ICC’s findings, which were delayed. “We are now verifying the committee’s inquiry status,” he said.

“She was ignored until she burned”

Students at the college told The Indian Express that the woman had been vocal for weeks about the harassment. She claimed Sahu had been preventing her from attending classes and continuously threatening her for rejecting his advances.

“She said no one was listening,” a fellow student said. “She was fighting alone. Now she’s between life and death.”

Many complaints against same professor

“This incident did not take place all of a sudden. The girl had been facing harassment for the past six months. In the last two years, many students have complained about the same professor. Despite repeated complaints, the college principal and administration did not take any action,” alleged Subhra Sambit Nayak, a student organisation’s state joint secretary.

Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi also expressed anguish over the alleged negligence and mismanagement regarding the harassment complaint of the student and demanded strict action against the culprits.

“I spoke to the police and was assured that a complaint committee has been set up to investigate the matter. The committee has been asked to submit its report within five working days,” said Sarangi.

He said the victim had met him five days before the incident and narrated her ordeal.

“She and her friend came to meet me. I immediately called the principal of the college and the concerned authorities. I was told that the internal committee is working on the matter and a solution will be found soon, but nothing happened,” added Sarangi.

He further added that the student had told him that she was contemplating suicide.

“I strongly advised him not to take such a step. I told him that justice will be done and the guilty will be punished. I encouraged her to keep her courage,” said Sarangi.

The incident has sparked outrage across Odisha, with activists and student groups demanding reforms in how colleges handle sexual harassment complaints and accountability for those who delay justice.