'It Was Her Agni Pariksha': Friend Reveals How Trolling Crushed Balasore Victim's Spirit

Last Updated:July 17, 2025, 08:59 IST

The woman said the principal was approached several times to act against the HoD but he, instead, warned the victim of consequences if she failed to prove her complaint

Odisha college student set herself on fire over sexual harassment by teacher | Image: X

The 20-year-old BEd student of Balasore’s Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, who set herself on fire over the alleged harassment by her HoD and assistant professor Samir Kumar Sahu, approached her principal several times to share her ordeal but did not get a favourable response.

The apathy was revealed by the victim’s close friend, who, in an interview with CNN-News18, said: “The principal asked for some time and took 7–8 days but did nothing. In fact, he warned the victim of consequences if she failed to prove her complaint," she said.

The victim’s friend said she was trolled by juniors, who called her a “bad girl" on social media and campus and assassinated her character. “On June 30, us friends accompanied her for support. She had gone to the principal earlier too, but wasn’t heard. On June 30, we all went with her to demand action. The principal asked for 7-8 days but did nothing. The HoD instigated students to defame her."

The woman said the victim was “used as a political tool by opposition student union NSUI" and those showing sympathy now were the same who tarnished her image.

Sharing details of the fateful day when the woman self-immolated, her friend said: “She looked okay and calm in the morning. The fact that she couldn’t provide proof pushed her to take the extreme step; it was her Agni Pariksha. However, when we returned from lunch, we saw what she had done. The shaming crushed her spirit. She felt isolated, unheard, and humiliated and took the drastic step."

The woman said the fight for justice would not end with the victim’s death. “She did not burn alone—all of us are burning with her today. She taught us that we must always fight for the rights of girls."

THE CASE

Shocking details of the case have come to the fore after the victim’s death, including the apathy of the college administration as well as pressure from some of her own peers who supported the accused.

The student, in her complaint to the college’s Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) on July 1, had mentioned that the professor had asked for a “favour" from her, refusal of which invited mental harassment. “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’," Minati Sethi, a member of the ICC, told a news portal.

Upset over being unable to prove her allegations, the student set herself ablaze shortly after coming out of the principal’s chamber. She suffered 95 per cent burns and was first admitted to the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital. Later, she was shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment. The accused professor and the principal of the college were arrested in connection with the case.

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

Kamalika Sengupta

Kamalika Sengupta, Editor, Digital East of News18, is a multilingual journalist with 16 years of experience in covering the northeast, with specialisation in politics and defence. She has won UNICEF Laadli Awar...Read More

Kamalika Sengupta, Editor, Digital East of News18, is a multilingual journalist with 16 years of experience in covering the northeast, with specialisation in politics and defence. She has won UNICEF Laadli Awar...

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Location :

Odisha (Orissa), India, India

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