A four-member fact-finding team from the University Grants Commission (UGC) visited Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore on Friday to investigate the death of a second-year student who set herself on fire after having allegedly faced sexual harassment from her college professor.

The team, led by Prof Raj Kumar Mittal, will assess, among other things, whether the college’s internal complaints committee (ICC) is functioning effectively.

The committee will examine the circumstances that led to the girl’s act of self-immolation and her subsequent death. It will also evaluate the availability and effectiveness of institutional policies, grievance redress mechanisms, anti-harassment measures and the student support system in place at the college.

The panel will assess the institution’s compliance with the provisions of the University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) regulations. The team has been instructed to submit its report within seven days.

Odisha police’s crime branch has also intensified its investigation into the incident, exploring all possible angles — including whether anyone instigated the girl to douse herself in petrol and who brought the inflammable substance onto campus.

The BJD on Friday staged a silent protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Janata Maidan on Friday, demanding justice for the student.