In a significant development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) convened a critical meeting at its state office in Bhubaneswar late on July 15, 2025, to address the tragic suicide of Soumyashree Bishi, a student at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore.
The meeting, attended by key leaders including State President Manmohan Samal, Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singhdeo and Pravati Parida, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister Gokulananda Mallik, and MLAs like Babu Singh, Amar Nayak, Ashrit Pattanayak, Tankadhar Tripathy, and Irashish Acharya, focused on the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, addressing the media post-meeting, revealed that the government is actively collecting information on individuals who neglected their duties in connection with Soumyashree’s case. He stated that the student had been a victim of mental harassment, and the government is deeply pained by the incident. To ensure justice, charges related to abetment of suicide are being added, and the investigation’s scope is being expanded at the request of the deceased’s mother. The Education Department’s probe will scrutinise not only the college’s departmental head or principal but also anyone responsible for creating circumstances leading to the tragedy.
Pujari emphasised the government’s commitment to delivering justice to Soumyashree’s family, stating, “We will take all necessary steps to ensure accountability.” Responding to opposition demands for a judicial inquiry, he criticised past governments for failing to act on similar probes, assuring that the current administration is closely monitoring progress and will take decisive action.
The meeting’s outcomes signal a robust response to the incident, with the government determined to address systemic failures and provide closure to the grieving family.
