College student’s condition critical, but stable
CONDITION CRITICAL
BHUBANESWAR, July 14: The principal of a college in Odisha’s Balasore district was arrested on Monday in connection with the self-immolation of a female student on campus, police said.
Dillip Ghose, the principal of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, was suspended on Saturday after the B.Ed student attempted suicide by setting herself on fire, alleging inaction over her complaint against her professor, who sexually harassed her.
The state’s Higher Education Department in the suspension order said the principal had failed to handle the matter properly and perform his duties.
He was accused of shielding Education Department’s HoD Samira Kumar Sahu, who has already been arrested by the police.
“My daughter set herself on fire minutes after coming out of the principal’s room. The principal had put pressure on her to withdraw the complaint against the teacher who sexually and mentally harassed my daughter,” her father alleged.
A two-member team of the Crime Branch is investigating the incident following outrage across the state.
The Education Department has also formed a three-member committee to inquire into the incident.
CONDITION CRITICAL
The condition of the 20-year-old college student who set herself on fire for allegedly being denied justice over “sexual harassment” by a teacher, remained critical for the third consecutive day on Monday, hospital sources here said.
Briefing reporters on the latest health condition of the college student, AIIMS Bhubaneswar Superintendent Dr Dillip Parida said: “The patient is certainly critical, but stable. We are saying stable because her health condition has remained the same as it was during her admission to the hospital on Saturday evening. However, there is no improvement in the health condition. The next 72 hours are very crucial.” Dr Parida said that there has been little urination after doing dialysis on the patient on Sunday night. She had a fever on Sunday night. “Though it (urination) is a positive sign, but we can’t say that she has improved. She is still in critical condition.” The student’s father, a resident of Balasore district, said: “I could not recognise my daughter after seeing her at AIIMS. I could not stay with her for even a minute. Her entire body is bandaged. Doctors told me that dialysis had been done last night. The doctors are doing their best. As much as 95 per cent of her body is burnt.” The father appealed to all people of Odisha and urged them to pray to Lord Jagannath for the recovery of his daughter as the doctors have already informed him that there were no signs of improvement since her admission at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Saturday evening.
The second-year Integrated BE d student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore on Saturday afternoon set herself on fire after being denied justice over a sexual harassment complaint lodged by her against her teacher. The student with severe burn injury was first admitted at the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) and then shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment.
Hospital officials said there were no signs of improvement since Saturday evening. The woman’s kidneys, respiratory tract and lungs are severely affected due to the fire and smoke inhalation. (PTI)