Balasore, Odisha: The father of the 20-year-old B.Ed student who died after setting herself ablaze at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College has claimed that his daughter was driven to suicide by a deep-rooted conspiracy within the institution. The young woman, who had sustained over 90 per cent burns in the July 13 incident, succumbed to her injuries on Monday night at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
Speaking to ANI, the grieving father accused college authorities of abetment and cover-up. “My daughter did not die—she was killed,” he said, adding that his daughter had faced continuous harassment for speaking out. “This was a plot. She always raised her voice in college, so they targeted her. Everyone forced her to die. Isn’t this murder?”
A silent system, a lost voice
The student had earlier lodged a formal complaint with the college’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), accusing Sameer Ranjan Sahoo, the Head of Department, of repeated sexual harassment. Despite her complaint, no concrete action was taken, and she was allegedly called in alone to meet the accused and the principal, raising questions about procedural violations.
“Why was she made to meet the accused behind closed doors? Why weren’t we informed?” the father asked, further claiming that ICC members humiliated his daughter in front of the man she had accused.
In a shocking revelation, he said, “She never revealed everything to us. But she had said the accused was demanding sexual favours. When I confronted him, he said: ‘I’m her teacher, don’t worry.’”
Political leaders slam institutional failure
The incident has triggered widespread public outrage across Odisha, with former Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik issuing a scathing statement. Blaming the BJP-led state government, Patnaik described the death as the outcome of “institutional betrayal” and “systemic injustice.”
“She went from pillar to post for justice. The system stayed silent. This wasn’t an accident—it was a product of a system that failed her,” said Patnaik.
He also demanded stringent accountability measures and urged for the implementation of stronger protective frameworks for women in academic institutions.
Demand for justice
With public anger mounting, the student’s family is demanding a full investigation into the roles played by Professor Sameer Sahoo, college principal Dillip Ghose, and the members of the Internal Complaints Committee. They are questioning the sequence of events leading up to the suicide attempt and what transpired in the principal’s office shortly before the tragedy.
The incident was captured on CCTV, showing the young woman setting herself on fire in a corridor of the college. A fellow student who rushed to save her also sustained over 70% burns and is currently undergoing treatment.
The state education department has suspended both Sahoo and Ghose and assured action. But for the grieving family, suspension is not enough. They want answers, accountability, and justice for their daughter.