Bhubaneswar: In a significant development in Odisha’s Fakir Mohan College female student suicide case, serious charges including abetment of suicide and causing severe mental trauma are being added to the FIR.
Sharing this information, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said that more serious charges have now been added to the FIR filed by the police following the death of Soumyashree Bisi, who had set herself ablaze on July 12 in front of the college principal’s office in Balasore.
As the student has breathed her last while undergoing treatment, the previous sections of charges slapped on the accused have been modified, Pujari told reporters. “Charges like abetment of suicide and causing severe mental trauma have been added now,” he said.
Stating that investigation by the police will not be limited to just the college principal and head of the department (HOD) of education, the Minister said that anyone who instigated or failed to act will be brought under the purview of the probe.
Asserting that the state government is committed to delivering justice to the victim and her family, Pujari said whosoever is found responsible, directly or indirectly, will be booked.
This apart, concrete measures are being taken to prevent recurrence of such tragic incident in the state, he said.
Notably, a high-level meeting was held in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday in the presence of two Deputy Chief Ministers, state BJP president, and senior ministers including the Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, Health Minister, Transport Minister, and senior legislator Jay Narayan Mishra, among others. The meeting discussed the legal course of action and future steps.
Harichandan said legal proceedings are underway, and necessary actions will be taken against the accused as per the Chief Minister’s directives.
Stating that stringent action will be taken against all those involved in the incident, he said the state government will also take steps to prevent such incident in future.
Notably, Soumyashree, a 20-year-old B.Ed second-year student, had set herself ablaze on the college campus on July 12. She sustained over 90 per burn and breathed her last on July 14 night while undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
