OUAT Assistant Professor Death: Who Dialled 100? Family Members Debunk Suicide Theory

Bhubaneswar: Family members of Basanti Jena, an assistant professor of the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) who was found hanging at her quarters here on Thursday night, have debunked the suicide theory and demanded a proper probe into her death.

Her brother Diptikanta Jena questioned about 100 being dialled from her mobile. “What did the caller talk about for 30 seconds with the emergency number attendant? If it is a case of suicide, the reason behind the same should be revealed,” he said.

The alleged extra-marital affair link in the case should also be investigated, he added.

Basanti was an assistant professor in the department of animal reproduction, gynaecology and obstetrics, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, OUAT. She had married Debi Prasanna Das, assistant professor in the department of veterinary pathology, in 2012 and they have a six-year-old son. They all used to stay in the staff quarters.

According to police sources, Basanti returned from college around 5.30 pm. She locked the main gate when her husband and son went for a walk in the evening. On returning, they knocked on the door but got no response. Das tried to enter by climbing the wall. He then found the body hanging from the ceiling. “I called an ambulance and took her to hospital where doctors declared her dead,” he added.

Notably, Das had then said that his wife had dialled 100. He had, however, refuted having an extra-marital affair as alleged by Basanti’s family members.

“If the family members of the deceased have any complaint, they can provide information to the investigating officer,” DCP Uma Shankar Dash had said.