Principal of Odisha College Arrested After Student’s Self-Immolation Attempt Over Harassment Inaction

The principal of the Odisha college where one student has self immolated due to an alleged lack of action on her complaints of sexual harassment by one of the professors in the college has been arrested, said NDTV.

The episode occurred on Saturday in the Fakir Mohan Autonomous college in Balasore district in Odisha and the anger generated statewide.

Another student of the integrated BEd program, in the second year, burnt herself at the college making her demands to be addressed to act against one of the faculty members who sexually harassed her.

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The PTI report quoting the hospital superintendent Dr Dillip Parida said that the student is fighting for her life at the AIIMS Bhubaneswar in the state of Odisha and she has been in a critical but stable condition for the third consecutive day on Monday.

"The patient is certainly critical, but stable. We are saying stable because her health condition has remained the same as it was during her admission to the hospital on Saturday evening. However, there is no improvement in the health condition. The next 72 hours are very crucial," Dr Parida said.

The father of the student reported that she has been badly burnt on 95 per cent of her body and in such a way that he did not recognise his daughter. He also inspired Odia people to pray his daughter recover.

“I could not recognise my daughter after seeing her at AIIMS. I could not stay with her for even a minute. Her entire body is bandaged. Doctors told me that dialysis had been done last night. The doctors are doing their best. As much as 95 per cent of her body is burnt,” PTI quoted him as saying.

Odisha chief minister, Mohan Charan Majhi also met her on Sunday and that the state government could review the option of airlifting her to some other place to get better treatment in case there was a requirement.

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“The condition of the student is critical. She is being provided the treatment akin to that available in AIIMS, Delhi. A medical team is formed for her treatment. The government will consider airlifting the patient after her condition stabilises,” Majhi said.

Another aspect is the formation of a three-member committee by the state government to investigate into the matter.

Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati also talked to the director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar to have details about the health condition of the student and indicated that a team of specialists from AIIMS Delhi is helping in her treatment.

“I pray to Lord Jagannath for her swift recovery and inner strength, and sincerely hope she regains her health soon,” he wrote on X.

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