Balasore: In a chilling turn in the self-immolation case at Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, CCTV footage has revealed that the 20-year-old victim had purchased petrol with the intent to end her life, allegedly following sustained harassment by her Head of Department (HoD).

The footage, accessed by the Crime Branch, shows the second-year Integrated B.Ed student riding a bicycle to a petrol pump located approximately 500-600 metres from the college campus. She was seen buying petrol shortly after meeting the college principal to follow up on a complaint she had filed against Education HoD Samira Kumar Sahu.

Sources say the student was upset after receiving an unsatisfactory response from the college authorities regarding her harassment complaint. Soon after, she proceeded to the fuel station to buy the inflammable substance.

While the Crime Branch has not yet officially commented on the CCTV evidence, the visuals appear to confirm the victim’s deliberate move before the tragic incident.

On July 12, the student set herself on fire outside the principal’s chamber, reportedly as a desperate protest against prolonged harassment. She sustained over 90% burn injuries and succumbed two days later, on July 14, while undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar.

In a recent development, the Crime Branch arrested two students—Subhra Sambit Nayak and Jyotiprakash Biswal—for allegedly abetting or encouraging the victim to take the drastic step.

Earlier, local police had also arrested the accused HoD Samira Kumar Sahu and the college principal in connection with the case.

The incident had sparked a political storm in Odisha, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition and igniting statewide protests against the BJP-led government.

Speaking to reporters today following arrest of two students of the FM College, Bhograi BJD MLA Goutam Buddha Das alleged a larger conspiracy behind the student’s death. 

“This is not suicide—it’s murder. The two students arrested belong to ABVP, the student wing of RSS. They allegedly assured the victim that she would be rescued in time and promised her political mileage, convincing her she could emerge as a woman leader. But the plan backfired,” he claimed.

He further alleged that the Balasore MP, Pratap Sarangi, failed to act on the student’s plea for justice. “She had approached the MP, but he didn’t pressurise the police. The ABVP is now trying to dramatise the entire incident. Even I was stopped from entering the college,” he added, demanding that the ‘masterminds’ be arrested and that the MP be brought under the purview of investigation.

In response, BJP MLA Amar Nayak defended the government’s actions, stating, “Justice is being delivered under our rule, unlike the past 25 years. We follow a zero-tolerance policy toward crimes against women. Whoever is guilty will face strict action.”

He also challenged the BJD for an open debate on the issue, urging them not to politicise the tragedy.