Balasore sexual harassment case: UGC sets up panel to probe Odisha student suicide

New Delhi: The UGC on Tuesday formed a four-member Fact-Finding Committee to investigate the suicide case of a female student at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, Balasore, Odisha, allegedly due to sexual harassment by a faculty member.

The committee is tasked with examining the incident, evaluating the institution's compliance with regulatory provisions, and recommending measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The committee will be headed by Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Professor Raj Kumar Mittal.


The second-year Integrated B.Ed student had set herself ablaze after coming out of the principal's chamber, alleging inaction over her complaint against the professor.

The student who suffered 95% burns was first admitted to the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital and then shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment. She was declared dead on Monday night.

The Opposition parties have called for a bandh in the state on July 17 to protest the incident.