Odisha Police Crime Branch takes over FM College student's death case

NEW DELHI: The Crime Branch of Odisha Police on Wednesday took over the probe into the death of a woman student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Balasore, who allegedly set herself on fire on the campus. Director General of Police, CID-CB, Vinaytosh Mishra, in an order deputed DSP Iman Kalyan Nayak of Crime Against Women and Children Wing (CAW&CW), Bhubaneswar, to take up the investigation of the case and such other cases registered in that connection.

"DSP, Iman Kalyan Nayak of CAW &CW, Bhubaneswar will have the powers to function as Officer-in-Charge of Balasore district Sahadevkhunta Police Station for the purpose of investigation of this case," the office order said, adding that Inspector, Panchali Rout will assist Nayak. Earlier, the Balasore Police had arrested two persons, the prime accused and FM College Education department HoD Samira Kumar Sahoo and Principal Dillip Ghose.

They were booked under sections 108/3 (5) (abetment), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation), 75 (1) (iii), which deals with sexual harassment and sections 78 and 79 that deal with stalking and insulting the modesty of a woman. Section 108/3(5) of BNS deals with abetment of suicide under which a person can get a maximum of 10 years imprisonment. After a meeting of ministers on Tuesday, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari had indicated that the state government would expand the ambit of investigation and all persons who are directly or indirectly linked to the harassment of the college student would come under the purview of investigation.

Minister assures fair probe

"Though two persons have so far been arrested in the case, there are about 20 people found directly or indirectly harassing the woman student. All will come under the purview of the probe," Pujari said. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said that the government would ensure a free and fair investigation into the woman student’s death case, and certain attempts to divert the probe would not be accepted. Harichandan came down heavily on the opposition BJD and Congress, accusing them of using the sensitive case for their political gains.

"We have promptly taken action, and two persons have been arrested immediately. Chief Minister himself visited the victim at the hospital and announced stringent action against the culprits," he said. The woman, a second-year integrated BEd student, had set herself on fire on the afternoon of July 12 after allegedly being denied justice in the sexual harassment case lodged by her against HoD of education department, Samira Kumar Sahoo. She died on Monday night after battling for life with 95 per cent burns for almost 60 hours at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, sparking a statewide outrage.