Odisha student death: New clue in CCTV footage; CM launches safety initiative

The CCTV footage of a petrol station has revealed that a woman, of an age nearly that of the student who set herself ablaze on a Balasore college campus, bought petrol in a bottle around the same time, Odisha Police has stated.

The Crime Branch has been analysing CCTV footage from filling stations in the area, but is yet to ascertain how she got the petrol.

Alleging inaction over her sexual harassment complaint against a professor, the woman set herself on fire on the campus of the Fakir Mohan Autonomous College on July 12. She died at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on the night of July 14.

Filling stations in the district have now stopped selling petrol in bottles.

Also read: BJD workers hold protest on student self-immolation case, Odisha Police use water cannons

UGC team at work

On the other hand, the UGC fact-finding team is also looking into the incident and meeting different stakeholders over the past two days.

Rajkumar Mittal, who is leading the team, said it will soon prepare its report.

The UGC team has questioned the principal of the college and members of the internal complaints committee (ICC), which had mentioned in its report that there was no evidence of sexual harassment as alleged by the student, now deceased.

Another probe team

A fact-finding team of the higher education department is also conducting a separate investigation into the incident.

The opposition BJD’s women’s wing staged a demonstration in front of the State Commission for Women’s office in Bhubaneswar, questioning its role in ensuring the safety of women.

It warned that if the government does not fill the vacancies in the women’s commission immediately, its members will lock the office.

Also read: Odisha student death: Opposition calls for bandh as parents vow to fight for justice

Shaktishree launched

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday (July 19) launched Shaktishree, a state-wide initiative to ensure the safety, security, and empowerment of women in universities and colleges.

The CM described Shaktishree as a “transformative empowerment and self-defence initiative” that will cover 16 state universities and 730 government and aided colleges.

“This initiative will ensure the safety of girl students and create safer and more inclusive campuses in our higher education institutions,” Majhi said.

The CM said as part of the initiative, every institution will have a Shaktishree Empowerment Cell—a student-led body coordinated by a woman faculty member and a female student. This cell will focus on promoting safety, self-defence, and emotional well-being among students and staff.

Also read: Odisha student who set self ablaze dies; CM vows strict action against culprits

Shakti Apas as mentors

To provide further support, each district will nominate five senior women professionals, called “Shakti Apas”, who will mentor students and visit campuses every three months.

A dedicated mobile app will also be launched that will offer a secure platform for women students and staff to register complaints anonymously — via text, audio, or video — seek counselling, and access mental health services through Tele-MANAS, a national mental health initiative.

All teaching and non-teaching staff will be required to undergo annual online training related to the POSH Act, 2013, and UGC Regulations, 2015. A mandatory code of conduct will be enforced to ensure professional behaviour and gender sensitisation.

Also read: Odisha college principal arrested in student self-immolation case

Creating a safe environment

In addition, a biannual campaign called SAFE (Shaktishree Actions for Female Empowerment) will be conducted to raise awareness on gender issues, bullying, and harassment. Each institution must also submit an annual campus safety report by December 31 every year.

To enhance security, campuses will be brought under 24/7 CCTV surveillance.

An annual event called “Shakti Swarupini” will also be held for student and faculty coordinators to receive training, share feedback, and strengthen the programme.

(With agency inputs)