In a deeply troubling incident from Balasore, Odisha, a female student of FM Autonomous College attempted self-immolation on campus, reportedly after prolonged mental harassment by a faculty member. The student, who is in the second year of the Integrated B.Ed. program, poured petrol on herself and set herself on fire within the college premises. She was immediately rescued and taken to the local hospital, and later shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar due to the severity of her condition. Her medical state remains critical.
The student had previously filed a written complaint with the college’s Internal Complaints Committee on July 1, alleging that Sameer Kumar Sahoo, the Assistant Professor and Head of Department, had been mentally harassing her. According to her complaint, he had been humiliating her publicly, threatening her with academic failure—including detaining her for six years—and had made personal remarks about her life. More alarmingly, she alleged that he had expressed the desire to engage in a physical relationship with her and, after she refused, his behavior became increasingly hostile. She stated that he continued to insult her, share personal information with her family, and use his position to exert psychological pressure.
Despite these serious allegations, the college authorities reportedly did not take immediate action. The internal inquiry committee that reviewed the complaint submitted a report which, rather than addressing the allegations, allegedly praised Professor Sahoo. This perceived inaction and institutional failure pushed the student into a state of mental distress, ultimately leading her to attempt suicide.
Following public outrage, the Odisha Police arrested Sameer Kumar Sahoo and produced him in court. The State Higher Education Department also acted swiftly, suspending both Sameer Sahoo and the college principal, Dillip Kumar Ghosh. In the suspension order, the department noted that the principal had failed to manage the college appropriately and had neglected his responsibilities. Ghosh has been assigned to report to the Balasore District Collector’s Office during his suspension and cannot leave headquarters without permission.
Balasore SP confirmed that a special investigation team has been formed to conduct an in-depth inquiry. He added that the functioning and decisions of the internal complaints committee are also under scrutiny. Any discrepancies or procedural failures found during the investigation will result in further action.
Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi also commented on the incident, calling it extremely serious and stating that such a situation arose due to the irresponsibility of certain individuals. He revealed that the student had approached him some days earlier with her concerns, and he had brought the matter to the attention of the principal. However, instead of a fair probe, the committee report had praised the accused professor. He strongly criticized this and accused the college of trying to protect the professor despite the gravity of the allegations.
This case has sparked widespread public concern over the safety and dignity of students, particularly women, within educational institutions, and has raised questions about how seriously such complaints are handled by college authorities.
