Odisha crime branch has arrested two Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leaders in connection with the self-immolation death of a 20-year-old student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore.
The student had earlier accused one of her teachers of sexual harassment.
The accused — Jyoti Prakash Biswal, a college student, and Subhra Sambit Nayak, ABVP’s state joint secretary — were taken into custody on charges of abetment
to suicide.
The duo was arrested on Sunday night and booked under BNS section 108 (abetment of suicide) and 61(2) (a) (criminal conspiracy), police said.
They allegedly knew about the woman’s plan of self-immolation and filmed the video of it, which went viral on social media, an officer of the crime branch said.
BJD MLA Goutam Buddha Das at the news conference on Monday
Their bail pleas were rejected and they were remanded in judicial custody. Both reportedly have links to senior BJP leaders in the state.
The student had set herself on fire on the college campus on June 12 and died two days later at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Biswal, who sustained burn injuries while allegedly trying to save her, was also hospitalised.
Biswal was recently discharged from the SCB Medical College and Hospital after recovering from burn injuries. The state government had praised him for his “heroic” attempt to save the student.
She allegedly poured petrol and set herself on fire, claiming that the college authorities were not taking any action against the head of the department of the integrated BEd course, who allegedly sought sexual favours from her.
The department head, Samira Kumar Sahoo, and the college’s principal, Dillip Ghose, were earlier arrested on abetment of suicide charges. With the fresh arrests, the number of persons in custody rose to four.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) claimed that the student, herself an ABVP activist, was instigated to immolate herself to garner sympathy for the organisation ahead of student union elections.
“This was part of a strategy by the BJP to capture student unions through the ABVP. The ploy has boomeranged,” claimed BJD MLA Goutam Buddha Das.
Addressing a news conference at the party office, Das alleged the state government was attempting to shield senior BJP leaders by arresting two student activists. “The arrest of the ABVP members has exposed the BJP completely,” he said, claiming the victim had also approached Balasore BJP MP Pratap Sarangi, who failed to help her.
Das demanded Sarangi be brought under the purview of the investigation.
BJD students’ wing leader Ipsita Sahoo claimed, “Jyoti Prakash Biswal, the so-called saviour of the woman, also belongs to ABVP. There was a conspiracy, and the woman was a victim of it.”
The Congress, too, targeted the BJP and announced a padayatra on August 14 from Balasore to the victim’s village in Bhograi.
“The girl has not received justice. We want to highlight her case and the alarming rise in crimes against women in the state,” said Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das.
Sources said the crime branch had been monitoring the two ABVP leaders from the start but delayed action due to their political affiliations. Mounting pressure and recent developments compelled the agency to proceed with the arrests.
Additional reporting by PTI