BHUBANESWAR: The 20-year-old girl student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, who had attempted self-immolation on July 12 on the campus, was declared dead late in the night of July 14 by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Bhubaneswar).
The second-year Integrated BEd student had filed a written complaint on June 30 against the HoD of the Teacher Education department over harassment.
On July 12, after meeting the college principal, Dilip Ghosh, in the presence of the accused HoD (an assistant professor) at the former’s office chamber, she set herself on fire and sustained more than 90 per cent burn injuries.
She was under treatment at the burns unit. A statement released by AIIMS-Bhubaneswar stated that the patient was resuscitated with IV fluids, antibiotics, intubated and put on medical ventilation after she was brought in.
Despite adequate resuscitation and all possible supportive management, including renal replacement therapy at the burns centre, she could not be saved and was declared clinically dead at 11.46 pm on July 14.
President Droupadi Murmu visited her family members at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar while she was under treatment and ventilator support on July 14.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief and assured the bereaved family of stringent action against those involved in the case.
“I am deeply saddened to hear about the demise of the student of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College. Despite all efforts by the government and the expert medical team, the patient’s life could not be saved. I assure the family that the accused in the unfortunate case will be meted out the strictest of punishment. I have personally instructed the officials concerned on this. The government stands firmly with the family,” he wrote on X.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also expressed deep grief and prayed for strength to the bereaved family. Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said the State has a zero-tolerance policy towards such cases and efforts are already underway to ensure that the guilty face strict punishment.
“The government is vigilant to ensure that such incidents do not happen in future,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, MLAs Akash Dasnayak, Babu Singh, Irasis Acharya and other BJP leaders arrived at the hospital and met the girl’s family members.
Earlier, a scuffle broke out between the members of Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD), BJD leaders 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, shouted anti-BJP slogans and prevented the Mahaprayan vehicle carrying the body from moving out of the hospital premises after the postmortem was conducted.
“When the entire State was waiting for updates on the condition of the girl, what was the motive behind taking the body out in the night from the back door? Besides, it is because of our protests that the postmortem was conducted,” said Ipsita Sahoo, a BCJD member.
The BCJD was subsequently joined by NSUI members. The protestors were removed from the spot by police in the presence of DCP Jagmohan Meena and detained for a few hours.
The mortal remains of the victim is being taken to her house at Palasia village in Bhograi, Balasore district, for last rites in a police carcade, as of the filing of this report.