A college student from Odisha who had set herself on fire following allegations of sexual harassment against a senior faculty member, tragically passed away at AIIMS Bhubaneswar late Monday night.
The victim, a second-year Integrated B.Ed student at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore, had sustained 95% burn injuries after immolating herself on Saturday. She succumbed to her injuries after battling for life for three days.
According to sources, the student had earlier lodged a formal complaint on July 1 with the college's Internal Complaints Committee. In her statement, she accused Samir Kumar Sahu, Head of Department, of seeking "favours" and issuing threats when she resisted his advances.
The incident has sparked outrage across Odisha, with student bodies and women's rights groups demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged inaction by college authorities and justice for the deceased.
A timeline of events and further details surrounding the complaint and institutional response are under review as part of the ongoing probe.
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