BJB College Girl Student Death: Odisha State Women Commission Visits Hostel; Father Of Deceased Demands CBI Probe

Bhubaneswar: Even as the Commissionerate of Police has started interrogation of the women hostel inmates of BJB College in Odisha capital in connection with alleged suicide of an inmate, a delegation from State Women Commission visited the campus on Sunday.

A day after Ruchika Mohanty, a Plus III first-year student of the prestigious college, was found dead in Karubaki Hostel with a purported suicide note blaming her seniors for her extreme step on Saturday, there was a statewide uproar for bringing the culprits to book.

While some students of the college and members of students’ organisations staged a dharna demanding identification of the ‘seniors’ and action against them, BJP said it would raise the issue in the Assembly. Opposition Chief Whip in Assembly, Mohan Charan Majhi said two similar incidents have happened in the college in the past, but the government has failed to take any action.

The Commissionerate Police formed a three-member special team led by an additional DCP rank official to probe the matter. The team reached the hostel to question the warden and inmates in the morning. All 134 inmates of the hostel, college staff, hostel superintendent and warden have been brought under the purview of investigation.

According to sources, a delegation of Odisha State Commission for Women went to the hostel and questioned the warden and inmates. The delegates wanted to know the circumstances that led to ‘suicide’ of Ruchika.

Ruchika’s father Ganeswar Mohanty has demanded CBI probe into the incident and strict action against the three seniors. “Hostel authorities knew about ragging against my daughter but they are hiding it. I want exemplary punishment to the persons responsible for my daughter’s death,” he told the media persons.

Meanwhile, Ruchika’s last rites were performed by her family at her Kakhadi village in Athagarh of Cuttack district.