Bhubaneswar, July 15 Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday expressed deep grief over the death of a female student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, who succumbed to her injuries while receiving treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. The CM assured the family that the strictest punishment under the law would be imposed on those responsible.
The 20-year-old B.Ed student was admitted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, following a self-immolation attempt on Saturday over sexual harassment by the Head of the Department(HOD) of her discipline at FM Autonomous College, Balasore.
Expressing deep sorrow over the demise of the girl student, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, “I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the demise of the female student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College. Despite the government’s complete efforts and the tireless dedication of the team of expert doctors, her life could not be saved.”
Offering his condolences, the Chief Minister said, “I pray to Lord Jagannath for eternal peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.”
CM Majhi also assured the deceased’s family of stringent action against all the culprits responsible for the unfortunate death of Soumyashree.
“I assure the family of the deceased student that all those found guilty in this case will be punished with the harshest of penalties as per law. I have personally instructed the authorities to take stringent action.”
He further stated that the government stands firmly with the victim’s family at this time of grief.
The Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, also expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the student.
Taking to the social media platform X, the Minister stated in Odiya (loosely translated), "Deeply saddened and heartbroken to learn about the demise of Somyashree Bisi, a student under treatment in the Balasore Fakir Mohan Autonomous College incident. I pray for the eternal peace of the departed soul and extend my condolences to the grieving family. In this sorrowful time, may Lord Jagannath grant the family immense patience and courage. Om Shanti".
Odisha Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj also expressed deep sorrow over the death of the girl student, Balasore, who had attempted self-immolation. In a post on social media platform X, the Minister wrote, "I am deeply pained to hear about the demise of the student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College. Despite all efforts and prayers, we could not save her."
He further stated that the strictest possible action has already been initiated against the guilty under the government’s zero-tolerance policy. “The process of awarding the harshest punishment to the culprit has already begun. We are determined to ensure that such incidents do not recur,” he said.
Calling the incident extremely unfortunate, Suraj added, “What has happened should never have happened. I fall short of words to condemn such a tragic event. May the Almighty give strength and courage to the bereaved family.”
The student succumbed to the injuries at the burn centre of AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday. According to a medical bulletin released by the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, the student was admitted to the ICU at AIIMS on July 12 at 5.15 p.m. She was referred from the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital on Saturday.
It is pertinent here to mention that the victim, a B.Ed student, set herself ablaze after pouring petrol on herself in front of the principal’s chamber on Saturday over alleged sexual harassment by the HoD of her discipline, Samir Kumar Sahu.
The student with over 90 per cent burn injuries was rushed to Balasore Medical College, but was later shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, for advanced treatment. She was very upset as no action was taken against the HoD by the college authorities despite her lodging a formal complaint against the accused Sahu.
Sahu was immediately arrested by the Sahadevkhunta Police after a case was registered against him under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including 108 (abetment to suicide), 75(1)(iii) (sexual harassment), etc. The principal of the FM autonomous college, Dillip Kumar Ghose, was also arrested in the case on Monday.
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