Bhubaneswar: Soumyashree Bisi, the second-year Integrated BEd student of FM (Autonomous), was declared dead at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, late on Monday.
The 20-year-old had set herself on fire on Saturday afternoon after her complaint of sexual harassment against Sameer Ranjan Sahu, who headed the Bachelor of Education Department, went unaddressed.
She was admitted to AIIMS here on Sunday with 90-95% burns. “Despite adequate resuscitation and all possible supportive management, including renal replacement therapy at Burns ICU, she could not be revived and was declared clinically dead at 11.46pm,” the hospital said in its medical update.
Soumyashree allegedly took the extreme step as she was upset over inaction by the college authorities.
She lodged the complaint against the assistant professor with the internal complaint committee (ICC) on June 30 and met principal Dilip Ghosh again on the fateful day, alleging inaction and injustice by the college authorities. Her complaint was reportedly dismissed and the principal claimed that the ICC found no concrete evidence to support her allegations against the HoD, who she claimed had threatened to sabotage her academic record if she did not comply with his demand for favours.
Her father even claimed that she was asked to withdraw her complaint and was threatened with rustication by the principal.
While Sahu was arrested on Sunday on sexual harrasment charges, police took Ghosh into custody on Monday, following which he was sent to judicial custody after being produced at the SDJM court.
Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has expressed condolences on the demise of the victim of Balasore student self-immolation case. “I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the demise of the female student from FM Autonomous College. Despite the government’s fulfillment 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. 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,” he posted on X.