Two students arrested for instigating Odisha college girl's self-immolation

Bhubaneswar, Aug 4 Two students have been arrested in Odisha's Balasore district for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 20-year-old student from FM Autonomous College, who died by self-immolation last month.

The arrests were made late Sunday night by the Crime Branch of the Odisha Police, which is investigating the high-profile case that has drawn statewide outrage.

The accused have been identified as Shubhra Sambit Nayak, the state joint secretary of a student organisation, and Jyotiprakash Biswal, a fellow student of the same college.

The Crime Branch said both men were arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy and abetment to suicide.

Sources said the victim, who was staging a peaceful protest outside her college since July 1, was allegedly instigated by a group of students to take the extreme step.

Disturbingly, it has been alleged that some individuals at the scene not only recorded videos during the incident but also assisted in the suicide attempt rather than intervening.

Jyotiprakash, who reportedly sustained injuries while trying to rescue the victim during the incident, had been undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack and was discharged recently.

Both the arrested students were produced before the SDJM Court, which sent them to 14 days of judicial custody. The Crime Branch has said the investigation is ongoing, and more arrests or leads may follow.

Earlier in the case, Samira Kumar Sahoo, an assistant professor in the college, and former principal Dillip Ghose were also arrested. The student had previously filed multiple complaints accusing Sahoo of sexually harassing her and threatening to manipulate her academic scores.

Despite repeated pleas for action, she continued her protest for nearly two weeks before setting herself ablaze on July 12 outside the college gate -- an act which was captured on CCTV and widely circulated, sparking public outrage.

The victim, who had suffered 90 per cent burns, was admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where she succumbed to her injuries on July 15.

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