Bhubaneswar, Aug 18: The family members of an MCA girl student, whose body was found in Daya river yesterday, alleged that she committed suicide being harassment by her college authorities. They have lodged a complaint with Lingaraj police station in this connection.

Manas Pradhan, the elder brother of Sasmita Pradhan, 22, alleged that the college authorities had threatened his sister to reject her candidature as she could not pay her course fees.

“Though she was promoted to second year, an amount of Rs 41,000 was to be paid as course fee arrear for first year along with second-year course fee. The college management did not allow my sister to attend classes. So, she was very tense. This might have led to my sister to take the extreme step,” said Manas.

Sasmita, who hails from Banamalipur of Balianta, was a second-year student of Krupajal Computer Academy in Kausalyaganga. However the college authorities denied the allegations.

“From the beginning, Sasmita’s father had requested us to pay the course fee in phases. As her father had told us that they had financial problems, we had allowed her to take admission. We have never threatened to expel the girl from the college. She had even attended the classes on Saturday,” said college principal in charge Bikash Pattnaik.

The body of Sasmita was recovered by police on Saturday evening. Some youth of the area had recovered her from the river. Later, she was declared dead at Capital Hospital. The police have seized her identity card and mobile phone. While some eyewitnesses told the police that the girl had jumped to the river, the police have initiated an independent investigation.

“A case has been registered at Lingaraj police station. Her body was handed over to her family members today after post-mortem,” said a police officer.

 

The college management did not allow my sister to attend classes. So, she was
very tense.......Manas Pradhan,elder brother of the deceased girl