Former Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, has urged Odisha’s Governor to intervene in the shocking case of self-immolation by a student of Fakir Mohan University.
The student, who sustained grievous burn injuries, had earlier accused a senior faculty member of persistent sexual harassment, alleging a months-long ordeal without redress.
In a heartfelt post on social media, Patnaik condemned the institutional failure that allowed the accused to operate unchecked, despite the victim’s repeated appeals, from the college principal to state and union authorities. The student resorted to drastic action outside the principal’s office after her pleas were allegedly ignored.
“This tragic incident lays bare the stark reality of how she was denied justice,” Patnaik wrote, calling upon the Hon’ble Governor of Odisha, who serves as Chancellor for government-run universities, to ensure the victim receives the justice she desperately sought.
A young student resorting to self-immolation inside one of #Odisha’s premier Universities is both shocking and deeply distressing. I fervently pray to Lord Jagannatha for her swift recovery from the grievous burn injuries.
She was allegedly subjected to relentless sexual…
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) July 13, 2025
Patnaik’s intervention comes amid growing pressure on the state’s higher education system, with demands for comprehensive reform, transparency in internal inquiries, and safer campuses for women.
The student is currently undergoing treatment at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. The Odisha Government has suspended the principal and arrested the accused professor. A formal inquiry committee has been set up to investigate the incident.
