Bhubaneswar: A three-member committee constituted by the state government has launched a probe into the alleged self-immolation attempt by a girl student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore on July 12.
The panel — comprising Higher Education Director Kali Prasanna Mohapatra, Joint Secretary Mousumi Nayak, and Professor Jhumki Rath of BJB (Autonomous) College — visited the college campus on Sunday and began its investigation.
The victim, a second-year Integrated B.Ed. student, allegedly attempted to set herself ablaze in front of the principal’s chamber, citing continuous harassment by Samira Kumar Sahu, Head of the Education Department. She suffered severe burn injuries and is undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.
“This is our first visit as part of the investigation. We have interacted with the former principal and ICC members. A thorough probe will be conducted. Individuals will be summoned via official notices and a report will be submitted to the government,” said committee member and Higher Education Director Kali Prasanna Mohapatra.
The panel has reportedly collected several key documents linked to the harassment allegations.
The Higher Education Department has asked the committee to verify the circumstances that led to the incident, investigate the harassment claims against Sahu and assess the role of the college administration, including the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC), in handling the student’s grievances.
Taking serious note of the issue, the state government has suspended college principal Dillip Kumar Ghose and HOD Sahu. Sahu has also been arrested by local police.
