Odisha Self-Immolation Case: Principal Arrested Days After Female Student Takes Extreme Step Over Inaction On Sexual Harassment Complaint

Balasore: Days after a female student set herself on fire over inaction regarding sexual harassment allegations against her Head Of Department (HoD), the suspended principal of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Odisha’s Balasore was arrested on Monday, News18 reported.

The accused, Dilip Ghosh, was booked for abetting the student’s attempted suicide. He was suspended on 12 July after the student’s self-immolation attempt outside his office over alleged inaction in a sexual harassment complaint against her Head of Department (HoD)

The state higher education department appointed Firoj Padhi as the new principal of the college. The main accused in the sexual harassment case, HoD Samira Kumar Sahu, was arrested on July 12. Reportedly, the B.Ed student is battling for her life with 95 percent burns, at the AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

Internal Complaints Comitee Failed To Act

According to the Indian Express, the survivor had filed a complaint on July 1 to the internal complaints committee of the Fakir Mohan College.

She had alleged that her head of department, Samira Kumar Sahu, had been demanding "favours" and had also threatened her to destroy her future. The report further said, the woman had also filed a police complaint on July 1, but police did not act on it.

Took Extreme Step During Protest

According to college students, the woman, along with some other students, were staging a protest outside the college gate against the head of department on Saturday. Suddenly, she got up, ran to an area close to the principal's office, poured petrol on herself and set herself on fire.