Charge Sheet Filed in Odisha Student Self-Immolation Case
Four charged in tragic Balasore college student’s death.
The Odisha Police’s Crime Branch has filed a comprehensive 504-page charge sheet in the tragic self-immolation case of a 20-year-old female student from Fakir Mohan (FM) Autonomous College in Balasore, marking a significant step in a case that has sparked nationwide outrage. The charge sheet, submitted on Tuesday by Inspector Iman Kalyani Nayak of the Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAWCW) to the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) in Balasore, details evidence against four accused individuals, supported by statements from 120 witnesses and digital evidence from various devices.
The student, enrolled in an Integrated B.Ed course, set herself ablaze on July 12, 2025, outside the college, allegedly to protest sexual harassment by the head of the department. She succumbed to her injuries on July 14 at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, triggering widespread protests and calls for justice. The Crime Branch took over the investigation from local police following her death, arresting assistant professor Samira Kumar Sahoo on July 12 and former college principal Dillip Ghose on July 14, both charged with abetment to suicide.
On August 3, two additional suspects, Subhra Sambit Nayak, state joint secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and Jyotiprakash Biswal, a fellow student, were arrested. Both were accused of abetment to suicide and conspiring to incite the victim’s act, with evidence suggesting they filmed the incident. Biswal also sustained injuries while attempting to rescue the student.
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A senior police official noted that the investigation remains open due to the involvement of multiple individuals and ongoing evidence collection. The case has intensified scrutiny of institutional accountability and safety measures for students, with activists demanding stricter laws against harassment in educational institutions. As the legal process unfolds, the tragedy continues to fuel public anger and calls for systemic reform.
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