BHUBANESWAR: The Crime Branch (CB) of Odisha Police on Tuesday submitted an over 500-page chargesheet in connection with the self-immolation case of a 20-year-old female student of Balasore’s Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College.
The chargesheet was filed against the former head of Education department Samira Kumar Sahoo and then principal of the college Dillip Ghosh in Balasore Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court.
Sources said the CB filed the chargesheet along with ‘sufficient’ evidence against Sahoo and Ghosh to ensure that they get maximum punishment. During investigation, the CB found that the victim was not the first female student of the college who was harassed by Sahoo. A few years back, another student of FM college had accused Sahoo of harassing her. She had even lodged a complaint in this connection in Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC).
Acting on the student’s complaint, the commission had sought a report from Ghosh. However, Ghosh had managed to convince the complainant to not proceed further against Sahoo. Sources said CB suspects that Ghosh had possibly intimidated her and the allegations against Sahoo never came to the fore.
As the girl had decided not to proceed with the case, the CB did not question her regarding the matter. The agency, however, collected all the related documents from the OHRC and submitted it in the court as an evidence that Sahoo was involved in similar acts in the past and Ghosh had supported him back then too.
In the chargesheet, the CB mentioned that the college’s internal complaints committee had three months time to submit a report regarding its inquiry against Sahoo. The committee, however, submitted a report within 15 days and it lacked the detailed findings.
“Ghosh used this report to intimidate the victim. He had even called Sahoo to his chamber and they together held discussions with her. After a few minutes, she came outside and set herself on fire. The circumstantial evidence suggest the duo threatened her of coercive action for which she took the extreme step,” said sources.
CB sources said Sahoo also took the assistance of a few students to launch a campaign against the victim in the college as well as on social media in a bid to manipulate the internal complaints committee.
Meanwhile, CB said it will soon file a chargesheet against two other accused persons, Jyoti Prakash Biswal, a student of the college, and state joint secretary of ABVP Subhra Sambit Nayak, who were arrested on charges of abetment of suicide.
The victim, a second-year BEd student, had set herself ablaze outside the principal’s office on July 12, alleging that Sahoo was sexually harassing her. She sustained serious burn injuries and was admitted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. She succumbed while undergoing treatment on July 14.