My daughter was pressured to withdraw sexual harassment complaint, claims victim's father

THE father of the 20-year-old college student who attempted self-immolation after allegedly being denied justice in a sexual harassment case on Sunday claimed that his daughter was pressured by college authorities to withdraw her complaint.

- PBD BUREAU/PTI

Blaming the principal of state-run Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Dillip Ghose, the father told reporters in Bhubaneswar, "My daughter's friends told me that she set herself on fire minutes after meeting the principal. She had gone to his chamber to know the findings of the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) probing her allegations."

"The principal told my daughter that the ICC did not find any evidence to support her sexual harassment allegations against Samira Kumar Sahu, the head of the education department," the father said, alleging that the news may have worsened her mental distress, leading her to set herself on fire.

Principal Ghose had said the victim met her in his chamber and he counseled her. He had also told the victim that the college authorities might taken action against her for levelling false allegations against a teacher, the father said.