Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi took to X just after 1 am on Tuesday to announce the death of Soumyashri Bisi, the 20-year-old girl student of FM Autonomous College, Balasore, who had attempted self-immolation earlier this month after alleging sexual harassment by a faculty member.
The girl, a second-year BEd student, was undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar after sustaining nearly 95% burn injuries.
In a post on X, CM Majhi wrote: “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 added.
The student had attempted self-immolatio on July 12 outside the college gate during a protest that had been ongoing since July 1, demanding action against the head of the education department.
She had earlier submitted multiple complaints accusing the head of the Integrated BEd Department Sameer Kumar Sahoo of sexual harassment and threats to manipulate her academic scores. A male student who tried to save her also suffered burn injuries.
The incident, caught on CCTV, triggered public outrage and led to the arrest of Sahoo and the suspension of college principal Dilip Ghosh.
The Odisha Government dragged its feet initially and this sparked a furore with the Opposition BJD and Congress accusing the BJP government in the state of failing to address such issues.
The girl was initially treated at Balasore hospital before being moved to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Doctors had earlier confirmed her condition as critical. The hospital was in contact with AIIMS Delhi to work out a proper treatment protocol for the girl who had suffered 95% burns.