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The footage is being examined by the Crime Branch as part of its ongoing investigation, though officials are yet to confirm how the deceased obtained the petrol.
Members of Biju Chhatra Janata Dal stage a protest over self-immolation by Fakir Mohan College student. (PTI)
The Odisha Police on Saturday said that CCTV footage from a fuel station captured a woman—believed to be of similar age to the Balasore college student who died by self-immolation—purchasing petrol in a bottle around the time of the incident.
The footage is being examined by the Crime Branch as part of its ongoing investigation, though officials are yet to confirm how the deceased obtained the petrol.
The 22-year-old student set herself on fire on the campus of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College on July 12, reportedly in protest over alleged inaction on her complaint of sexual harassment against a faculty member.
She succumbed to her injuries two days later at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
Following the incident, petrol pumps across Balasore district have reportedly stopped selling fuel in containers.
A University Grants Commission (UGC) fact-finding team is also probing the matter. Team head Rajkumar Mittal said the panel has spoken to various stakeholders, including the college principal and members of the internal complaints committee (ICC), and will soon submit its findings.
The ICC had previously stated in its report that it found no evidence to support the harassment allegations.
Separately, the state higher education department has initiated its own inquiry.
Meanwhile, the BJD’s women’s wing staged a protest outside the State Commission for Women in Bhubaneswar, criticizing the body’s role in addressing safety concerns.
The group demanded that vacant posts in the commission be filled promptly, warning of intensified agitation otherwise.
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- Location :
Odisha (Orissa), India, India
- First Published:
