'Why was postmortem done at night?': BJD slams BJP govt over Balasore case; calls it 'anti-dalit, anti-tribal'

BHUBANESWAR: Following the death of a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, who had attempted self-immolation, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Sulata Deo on Tuesday accused the government of being "anti-dalit and anti-tribal.

"She also questioned the timing of the postmortem, alleging that it was deliberately conducted at night to avoid public scrutiny."This government is against dalits and tribals. Why was the postmortem done at night? The body was brought at night so that no one would come to know, " Sulata Deo said.Biju Janata Dal (BJD) workers staged a protest as the mortal remains of the deceased student were being taken to the postmortem centre at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.Earlier on Monday, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar confirmed the death of the 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, Odisha, who had attempted self-immolation.In an official statement, the Department of Burn Centre at AIIMS Bhubaneswar stated that the student was brought to the casualty ward on July 12, after being referred from the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital.

"She was admitted to the Burns Centre ICU. The patient was resuscitated with IV fluids, IV antibiotics, intubated and put on mechanical ventilation. Despite adequate resuscitation and all possible supportive management, including renal replacement therapy at the Burns ICU, she could not be revived and was declared clinically dead at 11:46pm on July 14," the statement said.The 20-year-old student allegedly set herself on fire after enduring prolonged sexual harassment by the Head of Department at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College. Despite filing a formal complaint and reaching out to the principal for help, her appeals were reportedly ignored, ultimately leading to the tragic incident.Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep sorrow over the incident and assured the victim’s family that those responsible would face the strictest punishment under the law.(With inputs from ANI)