“Where is fact-finding team of the BJP?” says Congress’s Ajay Kumar Lallu on Balasore student’s self-immolation case – World News Network

Last updated: July 17, 2025 12:00 am

3 Min Read

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 17 (ANI): Odisha Congress in-charge Ajay Kumar Lallu on Thursday said the party is out on the streets demanding justice for the student who died by self-immolation in Balasore.
During the protest, he said the entire nation is ashamed by the incident and asked where the BJP’s fact-finding team is now.
Speaking to ANI, Ajay Kumar Lallu said, “To provide justice to the daughter of Odisha, today the Congress party is on the streets. The entire nation is feeling ashamed by the incident. Where is the fact-finding team of the BJP?… The Chief Minister should resign…”
Opposition parties, led by the Congress, are observing an Odisha bandh in protest against the death of a student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College by self-immolation.
Security forces were deployed, and petrol pumps remained closed in Bhubaneswar as several opposition parties observed an Odisha bandh.
Shops remained shut and traffic was disrupted in many areas, including Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj. In Bhadrak, markets were closed and public transport was affected. The bandh also caused long traffic jams on the Chennai-Kolkata Highway, where trucks and other vehicles were left stranded. Bus services were impacted in different parts of the state.
On Tuesday, eight Opposition political parties, including the Congress, unitedly called for ‘Odisha Bandh’ on July 17 and demanding the resignation of the State Higher Education Minister and a judicial investigation.
The 20-year-old student had allegedly faced prolonged sexual harassment by the Head of Department (HoD) at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore. Despite filing a formal complaint and seeking help from the college principal, her grievances reportedly went unheard, leading her to take the extreme step on campus last Saturday.
She was initially admitted to the Balasore district hospital and later referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar, where she succumbed to her burn injuries on Monday, hospital authorities said.
In connection with the case, Fakir Mohan College’s HoD, Samira Kumar Sahu, and Principal, Dilip Ghose, have been arrested. (ANI)

Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed of ANI; only the image & headline may have been reworked by News Services Division of World News Network Inc Ltd and Palghar News and Pune News and World News