Two students held for abetting Odisha college student’s self-immolation

Bhubaneswar: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police, on Sunday, has arrested two students in Balasore district for allegedly instigating the self-immolation of a 20-year-old FM Autonomous College student, who died last month after setting herself ablaze.

The arrested students were identified as Shubhra Sambit Nayak, state joint secretary of a student organization, and Jyotiprakash Biswal, a student of the same college. They were taken into custody on charges of criminal conspiracy and abetment to suicide.

According to sources, the victim had been staging a peaceful protest outside the college since 1 July and was allegedly provoked by a group of students to take the drastic step. It has also been alleged that some people present at the spot recorded videos and even aided the suicide attempt instead of preventing it.

Jyotiprakash, who was injured while trying to rescue the victim, had been receiving treatment at SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack and was recently discharged.

Both accused were produced before the SDJM Court and remanded in 14-day judicial custody. The Crime Branch said the investigation is continuing, and more arrests could follow.

Earlier, assistant professor Samira Kumar Sahoo and former principal Dillip Ghose had been arrested in connection with the case. The victim had lodged several complaints accusing Sahoo of sexual harassment and threatening to tamper with her academic results.

Despite repeated appeals for action, she continued her protest for nearly two weeks before setting herself on fire on 12 July outside the college gate. The incident, captured on CCTV, triggered widespread outrage.

The student, who sustained 90 per cent burns, was admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar and died on 15 July.