College girl suicide for ragging case rocks Odisha, Rights panel seeks report

BHUBANESWAR: The suicide of a BJB Autonomous College girl student who was a victim of ragging, led to opposition lawmakers demanding a CBI probe into the incident, while people hit the streets seeking stringent action against those found guilty of the offence. The issue was raised by opposition BJP and Congress MLAs in the Assembly as soon as it assembled for the day.

The members rushed to well of the House and demanded a CBI probe into the death of a 19-year-old girl at the ladies' hostel of the college on Saturday. The girl in her suicide note mentioned that she took the extreme step after being unable to cope with the ragging and mental harassment by three senior students. She, however, did not mention any name. As the opposition members created a din and stalled the functioning of the house during question hour, Speaker BK Arukha adjourned the proceeding for 50 minutes. When the House reassembled at 11.30 AM, members continued attacking the BJD government accusing it of failing to stop ragging in educational institutions despite University Grant Commission’s (UGC) identifying Odisha as a ragging-prone state. They pointed out that a first-year MBBS student of Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital at Bolangir had also committed suicide by jumping off the college hostel building on April 22.

Minister of State for Home, TK Behera in a statement in the House said that the 19-year-old belonging to Kakhadi village under Choudwar police limits in Cuttack district was a student of Plus III 1st year (History Honours) in the BJB College. She was staying in room number 201 of Karubaki Women’s Hostel of the college with her roommate. “At around 11.30 am on July 2, her roommate found the hostel room closed from inside and informed the college authorities. Later, the hostel superintendent and college principal arrived at the spot and found her body. They informed the police and her family,” the minister said. He informed the house that a team from Badagada police station came to the spot immediately after being informed and found a letter in the pocket of the deceased girl. A case was registered under Sections 306 and 34 of IPC.

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The Commissionerate Police has formed a three-member team headed by an additional DCP for an investigation into the case under the direct supervision of the Bhubaneswar DCP, the minister said adding that based on the statement of the family members of the deceased girl, her relatives and the suicide note, the investigation was being perused. He said the police have been asked to complete the probe as soon as possible. The minister claimed that the Home department follows zero-tolerance toward crime and criminals. It has directed the educational institutions to take steps as per the SOP issued by the department to stop the ragging of students. Opposition chief whip Mohan Majhi of BJP demanded stricter legislation to completely eradicate the ragging menace. Congress member Suresh Routray alleged that the state government did not hold meetings of the anti-ragging committees and demanded exemplary action against culprits involved in the college student's suicide.

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Meanwhile, Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) sou motu took cognizance of the case and asked the Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, to submit a report on the girl’s suicide case along with the status of the enquiry. The report is to be submitted in a sealed cover by the next hearing date on July 19, 2022, the OHRC said. The college principal Niranjan Mishra said that an internal enquiry will be conducted to identify the seniors who allegedly harassed her. While the deceased girl’s parents are staging an overnight dharna in front of the college along with members of the Nav Nirman Chhatra Sangathan, the NSUI’s Odisha unit activists held a rally before Odisha Assembly. The police detained some NSUI activists as they attempted force enter into the Assembly premises.