Massive protest at Odisha Assembly as student’s self-immolation triggers police action

A large-scale protest erupted on July 16, 2025, outside the Odisha Assembly in Bhubaneswar, with demonstrators demanding immediate action after a 20-year-old college student from Balasore died following a self-immolation attempt.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to prevent protesters from breaching security barricades.

The protest reflects growing public anger over repeated failures to address the student’s allegations of sexual harassment by a faculty member and institutional inaction.

Opposition parties have turned the tragedy into a political flashpoint, with calls for a statewide bandh on July 17 and a demand for a judicial inquiry.

The student had alleged repeated harassment and made complaints to the college's internal committee, police, and even social media, accusing authorities of ignoring her pleas.

She was pursuing B. Ed. at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, where one of her professors allegedly subjected her to prolonged sexual harassment.

The woman succumbed to her injuries and died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar on the night of July 14.

Opposition leaders are demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj.

Former CM Naveen Patnaik urged the Governor to intervene, condemning the “systematic failure” to protect students. Congress branded the incident “organized murder by system” and considered it a reflection of government apathy.

Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati has sought a detailed report, and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has assured central support and urged restraint against politicisation.

Meanwhile, both the college principal Dillip Kumar Ghosh accused professor Sameer Kumar Sahoo have been arrested, and a judicial inquiry has been ordered.