The three-member committee formed by the Higher Education department to probe into the FM College self-immolation case, will conduct its second round of investigation from Thursday, July 17, and question all members of the internal complaints committee (ICC) of the college.
The committee, led by the director of the Higher Education Department, Kali Prasanna Mohapatra, will interrogate eight members of the ICC that was formed on July 1, besides students and college employees who were witnesses to the incident on July 12, for two days, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
The Regional Directorate of Education has asked the ICC members and three students to appear before the committee. The students were witness to the incident and one among them had previously complained about the accused assistant professor Samira Kumar Sahoo's rude behaviour towards himself and other students of his batch to the principal.
Mohapatra said the questioning will continue for two days and beyond. Persons who have been asked to appear before the committee in person will be questioned. All others who were either present at the spot on July 12 or have any evidence or views on the incident will also be questioned.
The committee had on July 13 questioned the principal of the college, Dilip Ghosh, and the chairperson of the ICC, Jayashree Mishra, who is the HoD of the Psychology department in the college, for six hours.
Subsequently, Ghosh was charged with abetment to suicide and arrested.
Official sources said the victim had threatened to commit suicide before the ICC members during the inquiry if she failed to get justice.
The victim, who was a second-year Integrated BEd student, had levelled a harassment complaint against Sahoo, who is also the HoD of the Teacher Education department. She had registered an official complaint with the ICC after being debarred from appearing for the 4th semester internal examination by the accused Sahoo on June 30.
Sources said the victim and eight other students of her batch were prevented from giving the examination on the grounds of low attendance, according to the report by The New Indian Express.
Following a meeting with the principal and accused Sahoo, she had allegedly self-immolated, and a student of the anthropology department, Jyoti Prakash Biswal, was also injured while trying to save her.
