Three teams formed to probe Ruchika suicide case: Odisha Minister

Bhubaneswar: As legislators in the State Assembly today raised concerns over the death of Ruchika Mohanty, a girl student of BJB Autonomous College, at the college hostel, Home Department Minister of State, Tusharkanti Behera presented a statement in the House on the issue.

Behera informed the House that the Commissionerate Police has formed three teams to probe the death of Mohanty, who was a Plus III first year student of BJB Autonomous College, at the college hostel. An Additional DCP is supervising the investigation and the DCP, Bhubaneswar is directly monitoring the probe progress.

Family members and friends of the deceased, and the information mentioned in the letter written by her have been brought under the purview of the investigation, the Minister told the House.

The Commissionerate Police has taken a serious note of the case and has been questioning the Hostel Superintendent, College Principal, Matron and hostel inmates regarding the case. The Inspector In-Charge (IIC) of the Badagada Police Station has been investigating it, Behera said.

Ruchika Mohanty, aged 19, was studying History Honours in Plus III first year at the BJB Autonomous College in Bhubaneswar and was hailing from Kakhadi under Choudwar Police limits.

Even though Mohanty was allotted a dormitory room at the college’s Karubaki Ladies Hostel, she was staying along with her friend at room no-201.

On July 2, 2022, Mohanty’s friend found the room locked from inside. She thereafter immediately informed the college authorities. When the Hostel Superintendent and College Principal reached, the room’s door was broken open.

As Mohanty was found hanging from the ceiling fan of the room with a piece of cloth, the college authorities subsequently informed her family members and the police. Upon search in presence of Mohanty’s local guardian, the police recovered a handwritten note from the deceased’s pocket.

In the note, Mohanty mentioned that she took the extreme step when the ‘ragging’ by three of her seniors became unbearable. However, she did not name anyone in the note.

Based on a written complaint filed by Mohanty’s mother Bidyut Prabha Mohanty, a case 226/22 has been registered at the Badagada Police Station under the Section 306 and 34 of the IPC.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) today took a suo motu cognizance of the matter following media reports on the BJB College girl student’s death and her ragging allegations against three seniors.

The rights body issued a notice to the Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack and sought a report on the case during the next hearing fixed on July 19, 2022.

Earlier in the day, legislators from Opposition marched into the well of House and sloganeered over the Ruchika death case and her ragging allegation in the note. They also demanded a debate on the issue in the House.

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