CM announces Rs 4 lakh for family of Odisha college student who died in self-immolation

NEW DELHI: A college student of Odisha's Sudergarh district, who suffered 90 per cent burn injuries after allegedly setting herself on fire, died while undergoing treatment at Ispat General Hospital (IGH) Rourkela, police said on Monday. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the family of the deceased. The police have arrested a 25-year-old man who was allegedly harassing the victim, an undergraduate student, following which she allegedly set herself ablaze at her home in Rajgangpur police station area on the night of December 5.

The government's indifference towards preventing such incidents is emboldening criminals, BJD president and the leader of the opposition Naveen Patnaik claimed. This was the fifth such incident in the state in a span of six months when women died in a similar manner in Balasore, Puri, Kendrapara, Bargarh and Rajgangpur. Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling had visited IGH on Sunday and directed the hospital authorities to airlift her to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for better treatment.

However, the victim succumbed to her injuries on Sunday night, IGH authorities said. Expressing grief over the death of the student, the CM announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the family. Before the announcement was made, the family members and villagers staged a dharna on the hospital campus, demanding adequate compensation. “She was a meritorious student. Her family should be compensated properly by the government,” her uncle said. Meanwhile, BJD president Naveen Patnaik condoled the student’s tragic death.

Also read 'Refrain from introducing HECI Bill 2025 or refer to joint parliamentary committee': Kerala MP to Kiren Rijiju

Naveen Patnaik criticises government inaction

In a post on X, the former chief minister claimed that even after the family members stated that they had received threats of being killed, the government's inaction astonishes everyone. "How many more innocent lives will the government allow to be lost in such a manner? The government's indifference towards preventing such rising incidents in Odisha is emboldening the criminals," Patnaik said.

Claiming that the people of Odisha are feeling unsafe, he said, "The government must take strict measures to establish law and order in the state. Let people get justice, and immediate firm action be taken against the criminals." The police on Sunday arrested one Nilesh Sahoo, who was allegedly harassing the student and had threatened her with dire consequences if she continued to deny his overtures. SP Sundargarh Amritpal Kaur said, “We are looking into the angles of the incident. Our forensic team has collected samples from the spot for further investigation.” The woman’s maternal uncle had filed a police complaint.