BALASORE, Odisha – July 13, 2025 – A 20-year-old undergraduate student in Odisha is battling for her life with over 90% burns after setting herself ablaze outside her college campus in Balasore on Saturday. Her horrific act was a desperate plea for justice, coming after months of alleged sexual harassment by a senior professor and what her fellow students and family describe as blatant institutional apathy towards her repeated complaints.
The incident has ignited outrage across Odisha and beyond, casting a harsh spotlight on the systemic failures in addressing sexual harassment within India's higher education institutions. The accused professor, Samira Kumar Sahu, Head of the Integrated B.Ed. Department at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, has since been arrested, and the college principal, Dillip Kumar Ghosh, has been suspended for alleged negligence.
A Cry for Justice: The Unheeded Complaints
According to distressed classmates and reports from the district, the student had been enduring persistent mental harassment and alleged sexual demands from Professor Sahu for months. Her pleas for help, they claim, fell on deaf ears within the college administration.
"She told us multiple times that she was being harassed by the head of the department. He allegedly demanded undue favors and threatened to fail her if she didn't comply," recounted a fellow student, who witnessed the harrowing scene of the self-immolation.
The victim had reportedly filed formal complaints with the college principal and even approached the local police. While an internal committee was ostensibly formed to investigate the allegations, students allege it was biased, lacked transparency, and made little to no progress. The college principal, now suspended, acknowledged that the student had approached him with complaints days prior to the incident and again on Saturday morning, expressing "severe distress." However, his assertion that the internal committee "did not find conclusive evidence of sexual harassment" is being met with disbelief and anger by the student body.
The tragic act occurred during a peaceful protest organized by students since July 1st, demanding concrete action against the professor. Witnesses describe her briefly stepping away from the protest, dousing herself in petrol, and then setting herself alight near the college gate. A brave male student who attempted to rescue her also sustained burn injuries in the desperate effort to extinguish the flames. Both were rushed to Balasore district hospital before the female student, due to the severity of her burns, was shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar in critical condition.
Systemic Failures and Legal Frameworks
This heart-wrenching incident tragically underscores a persistent problem within Indian educational institutions. Despite the existence of robust legal frameworks like the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act), and the University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015, implementation and accountability often fall short.
These regulations mandate all universities and colleges to establish Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) to address sexual harassment complaints in a time-bound and sensitive manner. They also emphasize a "zero-tolerance policy" and require institutions to ensure a safe and harassment-free environment for all. However, many studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that ICCs are often understaffed, lack proper training, or are influenced by institutional pressures, leading to a culture of impunity for perpetrators and re-victimization for survivors.
Human rights activists and educationists are now stressing the urgent need for a more robust grievance redressal mechanism. "If the student files a complaint with the college authority about the harassment, the institution should follow the law in letter and spirit," stated lawyer Akhand, highlighting the disconnect between legislation and practice.
A Call for Accountability and Change
The Odisha Higher Education Department has reacted swiftly in the wake of the tragedy, suspending the principal and arresting the accused professor. A high-level inquiry committee has been constituted to investigate all aspects of the incident. Balasore SP Raj Prasad confirmed the arrest of Professor Sahu on charges of sexual harassment and abetment to suicide attempt, with a thorough investigation underway.
However, for many, these actions are too little, too late. The question on everyone's mind is why decisive action was not taken when the student first raised her complaints. The incident has not only sparked widespread student protests but also drawn sharp criticism from political parties, who are demanding greater accountability from college authorities and law enforcement.
The case of the Odisha student is a stark reminder of the immense courage it takes for survivors of sexual harassment to come forward and the devastating consequences when their voices are ignored. It serves as a national wake-up call for educational institutions to not only enforce existing laws but to cultivate a culture of trust, support, and immediate action, ensuring that no student feels driven to such desperate measures due to institutional negligence.
As the young woman fights for her life in AIIMS Bhubaneswar, her silent scream reverberates across the nation, demanding a safer and more just environment for every student in every educational institution.
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