Finance
The Odisha Congress on Tuesday declared a statewide ‘bandh’ on July 17 to protest the alleged sexual harassment and subsequent murder of Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old B.Ed. student at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore.
Soumyashree attempted suicide on the college campus on July 12 due to alleged inactivity on her complaint against the Head of Department (HoD), Samir Kumar Sahu. She died late Monday night at AIIMS Bhubaneswar from burn injuries ranging from 90 to 95 percent.
Bhakta Charan Das, head of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), stated at a news conference that the bandh is backed by eight parties, including the Left and NCP. He blamed the state government for failing to protect women and students, alleging that bystanders did not intervene even as Soumyashree poured petrol on herself.
“The ruling party ignored the incident because she belonged to ABVP. This is not suicide; this is murder,” Das said.
Soumyashree had already organized a sit-in outside the college to demand action against Sahu. Following her death, Sahadevkhunta Police arrested Sahu under Sections 108 (abetment to suicide) and 75(1)(iii) (sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Dilip Ghosh, the college’s principal, was detained on Monday in connection with the case after being suspended earlier.
During the bandh, shops, educational institutions, and markets are expected to be closed throughout the state.
