In a startling development in the investigation into the tragic death of Fakir Mohan College student Soumyashree Bisi, CCTV footage has emerged showing the victim purchasing petrol just hours before she self-immolated.
Captured on July 12 at 10:44 AM, the footage shows Soumyashree riding her bicycle to a nearby petrol pump, confirming her intent ahead of the incident. The Crime Branch is now verifying the authenticity of the footage, which may play a crucial role in the ongoing inquiry.
Soumyashree, a second-year Integrated B.Ed student, had previously lodged a complaint against the college HoD, Samira Kumar Sahu. Dissatisfied with the institution’s response, she set herself on fire near the principal’s chamber, sustaining over 95% burn injuries. She succumbed two days later at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.
In addition to the earlier arrests of the HoD and principal, two students have now been taken into custody, raising the total number of arrested individuals to four.
Authorities continue to investigate the sequence of events and the implications of the newly surfaced footage.