FM student’s plaint not validated: Crime Branch

The Crime Branch of the Odisha Police, which is investigating the self-immolation death of a college student in Balasore, Sunday said the 20-year-old woman had set herself on fire as her complaint of sexual harassment was not validated by an internal enquiry committee of the institute.

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Addressing a press conference here, Crime Branch DG Vinaytosh Mishra said its sleuths found discrepancies in the statements of witnesses in the case.

The college authorities had taken action on her complaint, and an internal enquiry was conducted. But the internal enquiry team did not validate her complaint. Her extreme step was a reaction to the non-validation of her plaint, the Crime Branch DG said.

The branch's Crime Against Women & Children Wing (CAW&CW) has been probing into the self-immolation death of the student over her alleged complaint against Samira Kumar Sahoo, the head of the department of Integrated BEd of the Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College.

The student immolated herself July 12 and died on the night of July 14, triggering nationwide outrage.

The Crime Branch, which took over the investigation from the Balasore district police, started an inquiry into the matter July 17.