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3d ago

Odisha Student’s Self-Immolation Death Prompts Arrests and Inquiry

The college principal has been suspended as a three-member inquiry begins, prompting a July 17 bandh alongside activist demands for strengthened campus grievance mechanisms.

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Odisha College Student Dies After Self-Immolation Over Harassment Complaint; CM Pledges Justice | Image: Republic/X
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Overview

  • Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old B.Ed student, died on July 14 at AIIMS Bhubaneswar from 90–95 percent burns sustained during a self-immolation protest two days earlier.
  • Police have arrested Assistant Professor Samir Kumar Sahu and college principal Dilip Ghosh, who has been suspended by the Higher Education Department pending the inquiry.
  • Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a Rs 20 lakh ex-gratia payment to Bisi’s family and pledged strict legal action against those found responsible.
  • Opposition parties led by Congress and Biju Janata Dal have called a statewide bandh for July 17 and staged protests outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar and the state assembly.
  • The University Grants Commission and Odisha authorities have launched separate fact-finding panels to investigate institutional failures in campus grievance redressal and recommend policy reforms.