The Odisha Police's Crime Branch, probing the case of self-immolation death of a college student in Balasore, stated that the 20-year-old woman had immolated herself because her sexual harassment complaint was "not validated" by an internal enquiry committee of the institute.
Crime Branch DG Vinaytosh Mishra said that the investigating officials found inconsistencies in the testimonies of witnesses.
"The college authorities were acting on her complaint, and investigation by an internal team was being conducted. But the girl's complaints were not substantiate by the enquiry team. Her extreme step was in retaliation for the non-validation of her plaint," the director general of the crime branch informed reporters on Sunday.
The Crime Against Women & Children Wing (CAW&CW) of the branch has been investigating the self-immolation death of the student following denial of justice on claims of sexual harassment by Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College department head for Integrated BEd Samira Kumar Sahoo.
The student set herself ablaze on July 12 and succumbed to injuries on July 14 night, leading to a nationwide outcry.
The crime branch, that had taken over the investigation from Balasore district police, initiated an investigation into the case on July 17.
We have discovered discrepancies between what witnesses have said to the police and internal complaints committee, and what they post on social media. They have presented different opinions and perceptions prior to and after the incident. There has to be a thorough analysis of all their statements and this will consume time. Proper analysis is required, "the DG stated.
He added that the government has taken the issue seriously and that CAW&CW inspector general S Shyni has toured Balasore twice to monitor the investigation.
Also read: Odisha self-immolation: Student succumbs to injuries
He added this was a complex case and two individuals, Sahoo and later the principal of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College Dillip Ghose, were arrested by the local police.
It is the duty of the crime branch to identify directly and indirectly involved people in the incident, DG added.
He informed that the CCTV camera footage and other online evidence gathered by the crime branch were being brought to the State Forensic Science Laboratory for its view.
Interviews of members of the internal complaints committee and staff at the college were also being recorded, he informed, adding that the investigation was on to ascertain if anyone had goaded her to attempt self-immolation.
"The crime branch has obtained several leads in the case. We assure everyone that the investigation has been carried out in a just manner so as to provide justice to the 20-year-old woman," Mishra said.
Responding to a query, the DG of crime branch clarified that no written complaint was made by the victim to the police, although the then college principal had summoned some police officials to a meeting on her complaint.
Apart from the crime branch, a four-member UGC fact-finding team and a high-level team of Odisha's higher education department were also holding separate investigations, an official stated.
The officials of the internal complaints committee, constituted by the college administration to investigate the complaint of the student, were being interrogated by the probe teams, and their statements were recorded, said an official without sharing details.
In the meantime, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) party cadres staged a protest at Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) office today in Odisha's Sambalpur in protest against the death of the Balasore student due to self-immolation.
While holding the protest, BJD MLA Barsha Singh stated that the CM and the Higher Education Minister should resign. She added: "When the govt was formed, they had only given one slogan: that the atrocities on women would be ended. But after the change of government, everyone has noticed that atrocities against women are going up, so we are against it… Recently, one girl was burnt alive in the Puri district. What is this government doing? We want the CM and the higher education minister to step down."
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