The student is on life support at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, with 90-95% burns. Her father demands the perpetrator's punishment and statewide college counseling services. Odisha Congress criticised the government for lack of action.
Bhubaneswar: The student who allegedly attempted self-immolation in protest against sexual assault is in a critical condition and on mechanical ventilator in AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Head of Department (HoD) Department of Burns, Dr Sanjay Giri said on Monday, July 14. The Balasore Police arrested the accused, identified as assistant professor Samir Sahu, on Saturday. The survivor had lodged a complaint against him with the Internal Compliance Committee on June 30. However, no action was taken.
Dr Giri told ANI, "The patient is critical and is on life support and mechanical ventilator. We have checked her parameters, and we will continue the same treatment." Medical Superintendent of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Dr Dillip Kumar Parida, said that AIIMS, Delhi, has advised to share the culture sensitivity report and continue the current treatment. "The patient is still critical. Today, the patient has a temperature of approximately 102 degrees. The team has consulted AIIMS Delhi, they have advised sending a culture sensitivity report and continuing the current treatment. The patient is critical and stable," Dr Parida told ANI.
AIIMS Executive Director Dr Ashutosh Biswas, on Sunday said that the patient is in a critical situation in the ICU. "We received the patient is in the ICU. It is about 90-95% burn. The patient is in a crucial situation. We are doing our best to provide the highest quality care," Biswas told ANI. Earlier, Odisha Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said that the state government will bear the entire cost of medical treatment of the Fakir Mohan (FM) Autonomous College student. A case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita, including 108(abetment to suicide) and 75(1)(iii) (sexual harassment) among other charges.
The survivor's father demanded punishment for the perpetrator and advised that all colleges in the state should have a counselling facility. He said, "They had two to four complaints against the accused professor, and the college authorities asked me to wait for the internal committee report. My demand is that the culprit should be given the harshest punishment. There should be counselling in all the colleges of Odisha, and strict steps should be taken so that such an incident does not happen again."
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Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das on Sunday hit out at the BJP government over the issue of the Balasore self-immolation case and demanded the resignation of the state education minister. "The suicide attempt took place a month after speaking to the MP. What were the CMO and the education minister doing for a month? Is this how justice is served? The student knocked on all the doors. The day she attempted suicide, she had left the principal's room. What he did to her is still in the dark. What prompted her to commit immediate suicide?... The principal must have disappointed her, leaving her with no other option. The BJP is in the government, and its student wing is not able to get justice for itself... How is the CMO working?... An ABVP student had to attempt suicide. How will she encourage others to join their party?... We demand that the Education Minister must resign or the CM must sack him..." Bhakta Charan Das told ANI.
He further added, "Why did this happen? Who was that girl? What was her complaint, and why did she attempt suicide? She filed an FIR in June. She tagged the Education Minister and the CMO on Facebook. She was from ABVP, and she also met Pratap Sarangi, Balasore MP... Pratap Sarangi compared the accused lecturer with Chalisa, which is used for Lord Hanuman. Someone who misbehaves with women cannot be connected with the Chalisa. Pratap Sarangi calls himself a Hindu; he should have managed his words."
The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Sunday formed an eight-member fact-finding committee to investigate the alleged self-immolation attempt by a female college student here in Balasore. The eight-member fact-finding committee will be headed by state women's wing president Meenakshi Bahinipati to inquire into the self-immolation attempt by a student of Fakir Mohan College in Balasore.
(With inputs from ANI)
