Bhubaneswar: There has been no improvement in her condition and she is on ventilation with 98% oxygen support, Balaram Bisi, father of the undergraduate girl student, who is battling for life at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar after a self-immolation bid at FM (Autonomous) College in Balasore, said on Monday.
The 20-year-old, Soumyashree Bisi, has sustained 90–95% burns and her kidneys, respiratory tract and lungs have been severely affected due to the fire and smoke inhalation. Her treatment is being carried out in consultation with experts of AIIMS, Delhi.
The father has appealed to all people of Odisha to pray to Lord Jagannath for the recovery of his daughter. “The doctor told me that 95 per cent of her body is damaged and the next 72 hours are crucial. I was unable to recognise her when I went to see her today,” the inconsolable father told the media.
He further stated that they were let down by the principal of the college Dilip Ghosh, who had assured them action against the accused assistant professor. “I had decided to withdraw her from the college but the principal deceived us with sweet talks and assured me that he would take care of my daughter. She took the extreme step after stepping out of his office. His complicity in the incident cannot be ignored,” he said.
The second-year Integrated BEd student set herself on fire on Saturday afternoon after her complaint of sexual harassment against Sameer Sahu, who heads the Bachelor of Education Department, went unaddressed. She had been upset over inaction by the college authorities despite filing a formal complaint with internal complaints committee (ICC), which reportedly found no concrete evidence to support her allegations against Sahu, who she claimed had threatened to sabotage her academic record if she did not comply with his demand for favours.
Bisi, who works as a clerk at Remuna Women’s College in the district, had earlier told the media that Sahu had allegedly stopped her from appearing for an internal examination on June 30 on the pretext of low attendance. “She was harassed for almost six months over her low attendance. He later agreed to improve her attendance but for a favour,” he alleged.
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He further claimed that Soumyashree was asked to withdraw her complaint and was threatened with rustication by the principal. “They also told me later that unless we withdraw the complaint, an FIR would be lodged against me,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, her brother said that he would go to any length to ensure that she gets justice. “Two days ago, she told me on phone that ‘bhaiya, we are going to protest, will take a statement from the principal’. I told her to get the statement, any statement from the principal, after which we will go to the police. I spoke to her at 11 am. At 1 pm, I heard about what happened… We took her to a hospital, from where she was taken to AIIMS,” her brother told NDTV on Monday.
He further said that the incident would not have happened had there been a free and fair probe into her allegations. “I will not spare anyone. I can go to any length. There has to be a free and fair probe and I will ensure she gets justice,” he added.
Interestingly, the college had no functional ICC and the panel was formed on July 1, a day after Soumyashree reported the matter to the principal. The University Grants Commission (UGC) mandates that all recognised colleges and universities maintain an ICC to enforce regulations on preventing, prohibiting, and addressing sexual harassment of women employees and students. The UGC also requires that ICC details be displayed on the institution’s website for student accessibility.
