The Odisha crime branch on Tuesday submitted a 349-page chargesheet on the Balasore Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College student immolation case, at the sub-divisional judicial magistrate court (SDJM) in Balasore. The chargesheet includes statements from 120 witnesses.

The girl, who sustained 95 per cent burn injuries after attempting self-immolation on July 12, protesting the failure of authorities to give her justice in a sexual harassment case, died at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, on July 14. Police have arrested the head of department (HOD), Sameer Kumar Sahoo and the principal of the college, Dilip Ghosh.

The crime branch arrested two ABVP leaders and sent them to judicial custody in connection with the self-immolation case in August. The two accused are Jyoti Prakash Biswal, a student of the college, and Subhra Sambit Nayak, ABVP’s state joint secretary.

The crime branch in a release said: “The deputy superintendent of police, crime against women and children wing, in its reports said the head of the department, education, Sameer Kumar Sahoo, mentally harassed the girl and even demanded undue favours from her. The victim committed
self-immolation following mental harassment.”

The Opposition also alleged that the girl, who was also an ABVP activist, was instigated to attempt self-immolation to generate support and sympathy in favour of the organisation ahead of student union elections in the state. The BJP government landed on a back foot over the issue.