Balasore Professor Asked Student For 'Favour', Told Her She Was 'No Child To Not Understand'

Last Updated:July 16, 2025, 13:55 IST

The accused professor in the Balasore student death case had reportedly told her that she was not a child to not understand what "favours" he needed, a report has claimed.

Balasore: BJD workers take part in a demonstration during a bandh called by the party in protest against the death of a college student (Photo: PTI)

As shocking details in the Balasore student death case continue to come to the fore, it has now been reported that Samira Kumar Sahoo, accused of sexually harassing the student, had told the woman that she was not a child to not understand what he needed.

The student, in her complaint to the ICC on July 1, had mentioned that the professor had asked for a “favour" from her, refusal of which invited mental harassment.

According to a report with India Today, Minati Sethi, a member of the college’s Internal Complaint Committee (ICC), has revealed what the student told her when Sethi quizzed her about the professor’s “favour" statement.

“When she (the student) asked him what kind of favour, Sahoo allegedly said, ‘You are not a child to not understand what favour I need’," Sethi said.

“However, we could not prove the allegation. It is very difficult to gather evidence on such charges," the report claimed Sethi said.

According to the report, Sethi also said that the student was hurt as the professor had not allowed her to write a semester examination on June 30, and that “she had taken it seriously".

BALASORE STUDENT DEATH: WHAT WE KNOW

On July 1, the student had written a complaint letter to the ICC, alleging that the professor had asked her for a “favour", refusal of which invited mental harassment.

However, the father of the 20-year-old Odisha college student, who set herself ablaze over inaction on her sexual harassment complaint, held members of her college’s ICC “solely responsible" for his daughter’s death.

He also accused the members of preparing a “biased report" in connection with her daughter’s allegation, which led her to set herself on fire on the campus on July 12.

Jayshree Mishra, the ICC coordinator of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, said the panel recommended the removal of Samira Kumar Sahoo from the post of Head of Integrated BEd.

However, the reason for seeking his removal was his “strict approach" and not sexually harassing students, Mishra said, adding that the authorities did not take any steps on the recommendation.

The deceased’s father blamed the ICC, which, in its report, gave a clean chit to the accused head of the department.

“My daughter would have been alive today had the ICC done a proper probe into her allegation," the father said.

The second-year Integrated B.Ed student in Balasore set herself ablaze shortly after coming out of the principal’s chamber, it was known.

The student, who suffered 95 per cent burns, was first admitted to the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital and then shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment.

She was declared dead hours after President Droupadi Murmu visited her at the burn unit ICU.

The funeral of the woman was conducted before noon on Tuesday in the presence of thousands of people.

The accused professor and the principal of the college were arrested in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, the University Grants Commission has set up a four-member fact-finding team to look into the incident.

ALSO READ | Balasore Student Reported HOD’s Harassment On June 30: Why Did It Lead To Peer Pressure But Not FIR?

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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