Balasore– The Odisha Police Crime Branch has detained two individuals in connection with the tragic death of a 20-year-old student who set herself on fire at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore last month. The arrests of Subhra Sambit Nayak, a state joint secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and Jyotiprakash Biswal, who was injured while attempting to save the student, were made late on Sunday, August 3, 2025. The incident, which sparked widespread outrage across India, stemmed from the student’s allegations of harassment by her teacher, Samira Sahoo, which went unaddressed by college authorities.
The young woman, a B.Ed student, had repeatedly raised concerns about harassment, but her complaints were not acted upon. On July 12, 2025, she poured petrol on herself and set herself alight outside the principal’s office during a protest over the lack of response to her grievances. She succumbed to her injuries at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, having suffered 95% burns. The tragedy has fueled national debates about the handling of harassment complaints in educational institutions.
The Crime Branch’s investigation, which involved questioning students, faculty, parents, and journalists, as well as reviewing video evidence, led to the arrests. Authorities indicated that further detentions are possible as the probe continues. The investigation is also exploring potential involvement of members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress party, due to alleged social media remarks about the victim.
The case has drawn significant attention, with the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Women taking cognizance of the matter. The arrests follow earlier detentions of the accused teacher, Samira Sahoo, and the college principal, Dillip Ghosh, as the Odisha government faces mounting pressure to address systemic failures in handling harassment complaints.
Odisha Student Tragedy: Two Arrested in Self-Immolation Case
