The Opposition in Odisha tore into the ruling BJP government in the state on Tuesday over the death college student who died after setting herself ablaze for alleged inaction on her sexual harassment complaint.
Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh for the family of the student.
“I assure the family of the deceased student that all those guilty in this case will face the strictest punishment as per the law. The government stands firmly with the family,” he said.
The family rejected the money offer.
Following the postmortem, the student’s body was sent to her village, Palasia in Balasore district. Thousands of villagers gathered for her cremation on Tuesday. Her cousin lit the funeral pyre as family members and villagers wept. Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi and district officials attended the last rites.
“My daughter has taught me to fight and I will continue it. I do not need the money or ex-gratia. I want my daughter back. Can the government give me back my child,” her father said in tears.
Her mother could only whisper, “Please forgive me. I am speechless.”
Local residents remembered her as a courageous student who actively helped during floods. “She used to help the administration shift women to safer places during calamities,” said a villager. “She was forced to end her life after being denied justice,” added a teacher.
At the crematorium ground, many demanded stringent action against those responsible.
“We do not believe that she will commit suicide. She was mentally strong and a brilliant student. She was forced to commit suicide by setting herself on fire for being denied justice,” said a teacher.
The deceased student’s grandfather said the government failed to give her justice, while another villager said she had “approached everyone from MLA to Union minister.”
The 20-year-old second-year B.Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Balasore, succumbed to her injuries late on Monday night at AIIMS Bhubaneswar after battling for life for nearly three days.
She had set herself on fire on the college campus on Saturday, allegedly over the authorities' inaction against the head of the education department, Samira Kumar Sahu, whom she had accused of sexually harassing her. She had suffered 95 per cent burns.
A statement from AIIMS said, “Despite adequate resuscitation and all possible supportive management, including renal replacement therapy at the Burns ICU, she could not be revived and was declared clinically dead at 11:46 pm on July 14.”
Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik wrote on X, “I am deeply saddened and heartbroken to learn about the demise of the student from Balasore FM College who was undergoing treatment at AIIMS. It is even more disturbing to think how a failed system can take someone's life. The most painful part is that this was not an accident, but rather the result of a system that remained silent instead of helping.”
Patnaik highlighted the student’s relentless efforts to seek justice.
“With great courage, she had written to the college principal, informing them about the sexual harassment she had faced. Even after being ignored by the college authorities, she did not give up. To seek justice, she reached out to the Higher Education Minister, the Chief Minister’s office, and even a Union Minister. She also personally met the Balasore MP to share her plight,” he wrote, calling the incident “institutional betrayal—a planned injustice.”
He urged the governor to ensure accountability not just among college authorities but also those in power who failed to act.
Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati mourned the student’s death.
“Shattered to learn of the untimely loss of a young student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College. Her passing is not just a tragedy—it is a stark reminder of the urgent need to safeguard our campuses,” he wrote on X. “The law will take its toughest course. Those responsible will face uncompromising punishment. My heart goes out to the grieving family. May they find strength in this hour of unbearable pain.”
President Droupadi Murmu, who was at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday for its 5th convocation ceremony, paid an unscheduled visit to the burn unit to enquire about the student's condition hours before her death.
Fakir Mohan College Principal Dilip Ghose and HoD Samira Kumar Sahu have been arrested.
Political fight erupts
The Congress-led Opposition has called a statewide Odisha bandh on July 17 to demand justice. Congress state president Bhakta Charan Das said, “She brought petrol, and everyone watched silently. No one acted.”
He termed the incident “proof of the state government’s failure to protect women.”
BJD leader Ipsita Sahoo alleged an overnight postmortem was done to cover up the government’s failure.
Congress youth leader Syed Yashir Nawaz demanded the resignation of the higher education minister, saying the girl’s death reflected the system’s collapse.
Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida and local MLA Babu Singh visited the hospital to console the bereaved family, as public anger continued to mount.