A statewide bandh has been called in Odisha by at least eight political parties, including the Congress, in response to the death of a 2nd year student who self-immolated after allegedly being sexually harassed by a professor.
The student, a second-year B.Ed (Integrated) student at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, died late Monday night after battling for her life for two days at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. She had sustained 95 percent burn injuries after setting herself on fire last week, reportedly in protest against the lack of action over her complaints.
The bandh announcement came just hours after Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) workers held demonstrations outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where the student had been under treatment since Saturday, 12 July.
Protesting parties accused the BJP-led Odisha government of attempting to suppress the case and demanded the resignation of Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj.
“Why was the post-mortem done at night? The body was brought at night so that no one would come to know,” alleged BJD leader Sulata Deo, voicing concerns about the timing and secrecy surrounding the post-mortem process.
Congress leader Yashir Nawaz echoed similar suspicions. “We are protesting because they are conducting the post-mortem at 2 am. The government, with the help of the police, wants to take the body away after the post-mortem,” he claimed, calling the entire sequence of events deeply troubling.
BJD leader Snehangini Chhuria criticised the BJP government’s handling of the matter, turning the national campaign slogan on its head, “Now, the slogan of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' has turned to 'Beti Padhao, Beti Jalao' in Odisha,” she said.
The student had accused Samir Kumar Sahu, head of the education department at her college, of repeated sexual advances. She alleged that Sahu had threatened to fail her in exams if she did not comply.
Despite writing to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the National Commission for Women, and local police, her complaints were allegedly ignored. The Internal Complaints Committee at her college eventually gave the accused professor a clean chit, a day later, the student set herself on fire.
According to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, she was brought to the hospital by a friend and was placed on mechanical ventilation. A medical bulletin stated that she was "resuscitated with IV fluids, IV antibiotics, intubated and put on mechanical ventilation", but succumbed to her injuries at 11:46 pm on Monday.
President Droupadi Murmu visited the hospital just hours before the student died and met with her parents. “When the President got to know about this incident, she showed concern,” said Sulata Deo, who added that a BJD delegation had also met Murmu seeking her intervention.
Chief Minister Majhi, reacting to the student’s death, promised swift action. “I assure the family that all those guilty will face the strictest punishment as per the law,” he wrote on X.
