In a tragic incident that has shaken Odisha, a nursing student from the Raighar block of Nabarangpur district passed away today at AIIMS Bhubaneswar after a gruelling 17-day battle for her life.
The young woman’s death follows a suicide attempt, driven by humiliation and fear, after an intimate video was leaked online by a rejected lover, marking yet another grim chapter in the rising tide of cyber harassment cases.
The ordeal began on July 13 when Satyajit Sarkar, a youth from Gurusinga village in Mahend panchayat, allegedly slapped the student in public. Following this incident, the victim lodged a written complaint against him at the Jaipur Town Police Station on July 15, leading to Case No. 247/25. Although Satyajit was summoned for questioning and released with a notice, the situation escalated. He subsequently threatened to leak an intimate video of the student, a threat he executed, which allegedly compelled the student to ingest poison in a desperate suicide attempt on July 17.
Immediately rushed to Umerkote Hospital for initial treatment, her critical condition required transfers to Konda village in Chhattisgarh and later Raipur. On July 22, as her health deteriorated further, her family brought her home. Following public outcry and intervention from local authorities, she was admitted to Umerkote Health Centre on July 23, then Nabarangpur District Headquarters Hospital, and finally transferred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Despite extensive efforts from a dedicated medical team over 16 days, she succumbed to her injuries today.
The police have arrested Satyajit Sarkar and Udhavgad Nayak, a security guard from Manba, Koraput, who was involved in the video leak. This case, registered as No. 160/25 at Raighar Police Station, is being investigated under various sections of the BNSS RW and Section 67 of the IT Act. IUCAW officer Seema Sangita Lugun is overseeing the investigation, with authorities promising a thorough inquiry.