BJD Workers Detained As They Protest Over Student's Death By Self Immolation In Balasore: WATCH

BJD workers were detained in Odisha for protesting the self-immolation death of a college student allegedly due to professor harassment.

The BJD called a bandh in Balasore. Former CM Naveen Patnaik criticised the BJP government, while the current CM promised strict punishment.

Source : PTI

Workers of the Biju Janata Dal were detained by the police on Wednesday, who were protesting over the death of a college student in Odisha's Balasore by self-immolation. 

The student had set herself ablaze following alleged sexual harassment by a professor. The sophomore Integrated B.Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Balasore, died on Monday night, after fighting for her life for three days at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar.

She resorted to the extreme step on Saturday over alleged inaction against the professor and suffered 95 per cent burns.

The BJD workers called a bandh in Balasore on Wednesday to protest over the college student's death. 

#WATCH | Bhubaneswar, Odisha | Police detain the BJD workers who are protesting over the Balasore student's death by self-immolation.

Biju Janata Dal is also observing a Balasore bandh in protest over a Balasore student's death by self-immolation. pic.twitter.com/5HTZIETJ0q

— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2025

Naveen Patnaik Slams Govt

Former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state, calling the administration a "failed system". 

Patnaik said the death of the student "was not an accident" but a result of a system that "remained silent instead of helping." 

"It is even more disturbing to think how a failed system can take someone's life. The most painful part is that this was not an accident, but rather the result of a system that remained silent instead of helping. Struggling for justice, the girl ultimately closed her eyes," he said in a post on X.

CM Mohan Charan Majhi said all culprits in the case will face the strictest punishment under the law. 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has set up a four-member fact-finding panel to look into the incident. 

"A four-member panel has been formed to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, including availability and effectiveness of factors such as institutional policies, grievance redressal mechanisms, anti-harassment measures adopted and student support systems," said UGC Secretary Sudeep Singh Jain.

"The panel will also assess compliance with the stipulated regulatory provisions, and suggest measures to prevent such incidents in future," he added.