Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has granted conditional bail to Dilip Ghosh, the suspended Principal of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, in connection with the self-immolation of B.Ed student Soumyashree Biswal.
Ghosh was released from Balasore District Jail on Thursday after spending nearly 10 months behind bars. The Crime Branch has so far submitted statements of 129 witnesses in the sensitive case. However, Sameer Kumar Sahu, Head of the Education Department and the main accused, remains in judicial custody.
Ghosh and Sahu were arrested by Sahadevkhunta Police following the tragic incident on July 12, 2025, when Soumyashree Biswal set herself ablaze in front of the college gate.
The student had allegedly been protesting continuous harassment by Sahu. She later succumbed to her burn injuries.Both Sahu and Principal Ghosh were initially suspended, but mounting public outrage and the ongoing investigation led to their arrest.
The incident had sparked widespread protests and created a major stir in the state’s administrative and political circles.
