Odisha observes bandh over Balasore pupil’s self-immolation case

Bhadrak: A number of opposition events in Odisha noticed a state-wide bandh on Thursday to protest towards the dying of a 20-year-old pupil from Fakir Mohan Autonomous School in Balasore, who died after making an attempt self-immolation.

Retailers remained shut and visitors was disrupted in lots of areas, together with Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj. In Bhadrak, markets had been closed and public transport was affected.

The bandh additionally precipitated lengthy visitors jams on the Chennai-Kolkata Freeway, the place vans and different automobiles had been left stranded. Bus providers had been impacted in several components of the state.
The Congress get together, together with different opposition teams, together with the All India Ahead Bloc, led the bandh. They blamed the state authorities for failing to reply to the coed's repeated cries for assist.

Protesters demanded a correct investigation into the case and known as for stronger measures to make sure the security and justice for girls within the state.

A day earlier, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had additionally taken to the streets and known as for a ‘Balasore Bandh' in protest towards the Odisha authorities. BJD chief and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik strongly criticised the state authorities and the police over the alleged use of drive towards BJD staff who had been protesting in reference to the case.On Tuesday, eight opposition events, together with the Congress, collectively known as for an ‘Odisha Bandh' on July 17, demanding the resignation of the State Larger Training Minister and a judicial investigation into the matter.The 20-year-old pupil had allegedly confronted sustained sexual harassment by the Head of Division (HoD) at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) School in Balasore. Regardless of submitting a proper grievance and repeatedly in search of assist from the school principal, her considerations reportedly went unaddressed, main her to set herself on hearth on campus final Saturday.

She was first admitted to Balasore district hospital and later shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the place she succumbed to her burn accidents on Monday, based on hospital authorities.

Following the incident, the school's HoD, Samira Kumar Sahu, and Principal, Dilip Ghose, have been arrested in reference to the case.