Tragic Death of Odisha Student Sparks Nationwide Outrage and Calls for Justice

Nation Reacts to the Death of Soumyashree Bisi

The tragic death of 20-year-old Soumyashree Bisi, a college student from Odisha, who self-immolated due to alleged sexual harassment by a professor, has ignited widespread outrage across the nation. Her death occurred on Monday night, following her desperate act on July 12, which has drawn significant attention and condemnation.

Odisha's Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his sorrow over the incident, promising that those responsible would face severe consequences. Prominent political figures, including Rahul Gandhi from the Congress party and Naveen Patnaik, president of the BJD, have labeled the incident as an 'organized murder by the system.'

Both the BJD and Congress have called for a judicial inquiry into the matter and have demanded the resignation of the Chief Minister and the Higher Education Minister, Surbyabanshi Suraj, until the investigation concludes.

The BJD has suggested that the judicial commission be led by a sitting high court judge to ensure impartiality.

In response to the incident, the INDIA bloc has organized a bandh in the state on July 17.

The father of the deceased has accused the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) at her college of being 'solely responsible' for his daughter's death, claiming they produced a biased report regarding her allegations, which ultimately led to her tragic decision.

Jayshree Mishra, the ICC coordinator at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, stated that the committee had recommended the removal of the accused, Samira Kumar Sahoo, from his position. However, she clarified that the recommendation was based on his 'strict approach' rather than any allegations of sexual misconduct.

Soumyashree, a second-year Integrated B.Ed student, set herself on fire shortly after leaving the principal's office. She suffered severe burns, initially treated at Balasore District Headquarters Hospital before being transferred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where she succumbed to her injuries hours after a visit from President Droupadi Murmu.

The AIIMS Bhubaneswar's Burn Centre reported that despite extensive medical efforts, she was declared clinically dead at 11:46 PM on July 14.

In light of this tragedy, the Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for Soumyashree's family and assured them that justice would be served.

The postmortem was conducted on Monday night, and her body was sent back to her hometown in the Basta area of Balasore district for burial, which took place on Tuesday in the presence of thousands, including the local MP.

The deceased's father criticized the ICC for exonerating the accused and expressed that his daughter might still be alive had they conducted a thorough investigation into her claims.

In her complaint to the ICC on July 1, Soumyashree alleged that the professor had requested inappropriate favors, leading to mental harassment when she refused.

Her father has called for the ICC members to be included in the investigation, while her mother expressed hope that her daughter's death would lead to improved safety for female students.

Rahul Gandhi condemned the incident, describing it as an 'organized murder by the system' and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on violence against women in Odisha and Manipur.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticized Gandhi's political maneuvering in the wake of this tragedy, labeling it as unfortunate.

Naveen Patnaik, the Leader of Opposition in Odisha, remarked that a failing system can lead to such tragedies and urged accountability for both college authorities and those in power who ignored the victim's pleas.

The opposition parties, including Congress and the Left, have called for a statewide bandh on July 17, while the BJD has organized an 8-hour bandh in Balasore district.

BJD activists held a candlelight vigil in the state capital and planned to protest at the state secretariat. Congress members demonstrated outside the residence of the Higher Education Minister, even resorting to throwing eggs.

The father of the deceased has requested that the matter not be politicized, stating, 'My daughter is gone. I appeal to all—please don’t use her for political gain. However, I will keep fighting so that she gets justice.'

He mentioned receiving a message from the Chief Minister, assuring him of a thorough investigation.

Senior Minister Suresh Pujari indicated that around 20 individuals contributed to her mental distress over the past two weeks, all of whom will be investigated.

The police have arrested both the principal and the accused teacher, while the University Grants Commission has established a four-member fact-finding team to investigate the incident.