BHUBANESWAR: Hours after the death of the girl student of FM (Autonomous) College at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, his ministers and officers went into a huddle to chart out a course of action to tackle the fallout on Tuesday.
The chief minister, who accompanied President Droupadi Murmu to Cuttack in the morning to attend several programmes, returned to the state capital in the afternoon and held a series of high-level meetings. Again, after seeing off the President at the airport in the evening, he rushed to the state BJP office and held a meeting with top party functionaries, which lasted for more than two hours.
Earlier in the morning, Majhi announced an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the next of the kin of the victim.
The 20-year-old girl, who set herself ablaze on July 12 outside the principal’s office on the college campus, was declared dead late on Monday night by the authorities of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.
Expressing grief over the student’s demise, the chief minister assured the family that the accused in the case will be given the strictest of punishment. “I have personally instructed the officials concerned on this. The government stands firmly with the family,” he said. Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan also expressed deep grief.
Meanwhile, sources said the meetings held by the CM took note of the quick action taken by arresting the principal and the assistant professor of the college and provisioning best of treatment for the victim. While endorsing the action of the government, there was unanimity on expanding the scope of the investigation to bring each and everyone involved in the incident and its run up under its purview.
The meeting at the BJP state headquarters was attended by two deputy chief ministers, KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Revenue minister Suresh Pujari, Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, Steel and Mines minister Bibhuti Jena, state BJP president Manmohan Samal, general secretary (organisation) Manas Mohanty and four senior MLAs.
Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, Suresh Pujari said the case has now been upgraded to abetment of suicide based on the preliminary findings of mental harassment. “The authorities are gathering details about persons who allegedly failed in their duties, contributing to the student’s death, and who may have been negligent or complicit. The evidence indicates harassment, which has led to a change in the nature of charges,” Pujari said. The minister also said the scope of the probe is expanding.
CM announces ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh for the next of kin
The Higher Education department has already initiated an inquiry, but the investigation is expected to be broadened further. “The government is deeply anguished by the death of the student. No one found responsible will be spared,” he said.
Responding to an appeal from the victim’s mother, Pujari said the state government would not restrict the inquiry to just the principal of the college or the head of department. “We are looking from all angles. The probe will be comprehensive,” he added.
Earlier, soon after the girl was declared dead, a scuffle broke out between workers of Biju Chhatra Janata Dal and police when the body was being taken to the ambulance for postmortem. Accusing the police of trying to take the body out clandestinely at night, the protestors staged a dharna outside the postmortem hall. Shouting slogans, they also tried to prevent the Mahaprayan vehicle carrying the body from moving out of the hospital premises after the postmortem was conducted.
Members of the NSUI also gheraoed the residence of Higher Education minister Suraj Surjyabanshi demanding his resignation. The activists also pelted eggs on the residence of the minister.
The victim’s final rites were conducted in Palasi village under Bhograi block of Balasore district amid tight security on the day.