Bhubaneswar: The three-member committee formed by the Higher Education department will begin its second round of investigation in the self-immolation case, involving a 20-year-old student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Odisha’s Balasore, which has created a nationwide furore, from Friday.
According to sources, the team headed by director of Higher Education Kali Prasanna Mohapatra, is expected to question members of the internal complaints committee (ICC) of the college, students and employees, who were witness to the incident on July 12, and thoroughly examine all aspects related to the case over the next two days.
The Regional Directorate of Education has asked the ICC members and three students to appear before the committee on July 18 and 19.
The victim had registered an official complaint with the ICC after being debarred from appearing for the 4th semester internal examination on June 30 by the HoD, Samira Kumar Sahu, whom she accused of demanding favours from her.
On July 13, the government-appointed panel questioned principal of the college Dilip Ghosh and chairperson of the ICC Jayashree Mishra, HoD of psychology department, in the college for six hours. It had then found lapses in handling the sexual harassment case by the college authorities.
On the basis of the probe panel’s preliminary report, Ghosh was on July 14 arrested for abetment to suicide.
The principal allegedly disregarded Section 14 of the Act and threatened the victim with expulsion from college, according to her father, for failing to substantiate her sexual harassment charges with strong evidence. This despite the fact that mere inability to substantiate a complaint or provide adequate proof need not attract action against the complainant under this section. This made the girl student feel humiliated in front of her harasser, promoting her to take the extreme step, sources said.
The girl’s father further alleged that the principal was intimidating her. He also alleged did not act on the ICC’s recommendation for removing the accused from the HOD’s chair.
This apart, the accused professor tried to influence the decision by showing signatures of several students in his favour. It was also alleged that the college formed an ICC on July 1 only after the girl lodged a complaint with the principal on June 30.
Depts Asked To An Keep An Eye On Grievances Raised On Social Media Platforms
Meanwhile, the government has directed all departments to actively monitor public grievances raised on social media platforms and escalate them to relevant authorities for action. The offices have been asked to have a dedicated social media cell. District collectors and SPs have also been asked to mobilise their social media teams. It came amid Opposition’s allegations of inaction in the case despite the victim’s post on X on July 1, drawing the attention of multiple authorities to her ordeal.
On Thursday, the Home Department forwarded two X posts, concerning public grievances to the DGP and SPs of Dhenkanal and Kendrapada, for action.
CB To Examine Every Aspects Of Case
On the other hand, the Crime Branch’s Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAW&CW) team led by IG, S Shyni, has also begun an investigation into the incident. The team will gather the FIR copy initially filed with Sahadevkhunta police, along with statements from seven to eight of the victim’s friends. The agency will also investigate whether Sahu harassed students during his previous postings at Koraput and Keonjhar colleges and how he rallied numerous students to complain against the victim to the principal right after she approached the college’s ICC seeking action against him, according to sources.
The agency will also probe why the college principal failed to report the matter to the Higher Education department or take preventive steps, such as reassigning Sahu to another department or placing him on leave during the ICC’s investigation. The role of local police will also be under scanner who allegedly did not act despite having information about the harassment case. Additionally, CAW&CW will explore whether anyone incited the victim to self-immolate. It has already questioned the victim’s friend who tried to save her after she set herself on fire.