'She was forced to apologise to harasser and drop plaint', say kin of Odisha woman who set herself on fire

Balasore sexual harassment case

According to a police complaint filed by the family of a 20-year-old college student, who set herself on fire on July 12 in Odisha's Balasore, she was allegedly forced by her college principal to withdraw a sexual harassment complaint against a senior faculty member and apologise to the accused.

According to The Times of India, the FIR says the second-year integrated BEd student was summoned to the principal’s office between 12 and 12.30 pm. She left the principal’s office and by 12.40 pm, she had doused herself in petrol and set herself on fire. Her cousin brother, who filed the complaint, alleged that the principal warned her, “You won’t be able to show your face to anyone. You’ll be forced to end your life if you don’t withdraw the complaint.”

The accused teacher and the principal were suspended and arrested. As per the report, the crime branch has taken over the probe amid growing questions about how the student procured petrol within 10 minutes of leaving the principal’s office.

Investigators are probing whether anyone helped the girl in procuring petrol. The student suffered burns on over 90% of her body and had inhaled flames, smoke, and petrol vapours that damaged her lungs, kidneys, and heart. She died late July 14 at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the report added.

The girl had filed a complaint with the college's internal complaints committee, accusing the HoD of seeking sexual favours and subjecting her to months of harassment after she rejected his advances.

Eleven days before her self-immolation, she shared her complaint on social media, warning that she would take her own life if no action was taken against her alleged tormentor. DIG (Eastern Range) Satyajit Naik confirmed that police are investigating the incident from all angles.

"We are committed to a free and fair probe," Naik was quoted by TOI as saying.