Suspended Principal of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Dilip Ghosh, has been arrested by Sahadevkhunta police following the horrifying self-immolation attempt by a second-year B.Ed student, Soumyashree Biswal.
The student, who sustained critical burn injuries, set herself ablaze in front of the college gate on July 12, allegedly in protest against continued harassment by Head of Education Department Sameer Kumar Sahu. Both Sahu and Principal Ghosh had earlier been suspended, but mounting public pressure and an investigation led to their formal arrest.
Following the incident, Sameer Kumar Sahu, the Head of the Education Department, was arrested as the main suspect.
Sources indicate the student had made repeated complaints, claiming mental torture, academic discrimination, and intimidation within the institution. The absence of timely administrative action has drawn severe criticism from rights groups, student unions, and political leaders across Odisha.
This incident has reignited conversations around accountability in higher education institutions and the need for robust grievance redressal mechanisms. The Odisha government has assured a high-level inquiry and promised institutional reforms.
Soumyashree remains in critical condition at the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. Her family and civil society organisations are demanding justice and long-term safeguards for students’ welfare across the state.
