Bhubaneswar, July 15: In a somber tribute to 20-year-old Soumyashree Bisi, a B.Ed student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore who died following a self-immolation attempt, candlelight rallies were held across Bhubaneswar on Tuesday evening.
Leaders from various political parties, student communities, and social organizations gathered to express their grief and solidarity.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organized a candlelight rally at Shree Lingaraj Temple, where Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, Pravati Parida, and several cabinet ministers, MLAs, and party leaders lit lamps (‘Deepa Dana’) in Soumyashree’s memory.
Students of Utkal University also staged a separate candlelight rally at the university’s main gate, where hundreds joined to pay their final respects.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) held a parallel candlelight demonstration in the capital. Hundred of BJD leaders led by Pranab Prakash Das, Sanjay Das Burma, Pratap Jena organised a candlelight march from Master Canteen Square to Rama Mandir Square this evening
BJD has also announced plans to gherao Lok Seva Bhawan on July 16, demanding justice for Soumyashree.
BJD is calling for a judicial inquiry led by a sitting High Court judge and has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, holding them morally accountable for the incident.
Soumyashree allegedly set herself on fire on July 12 outside the principal’s office, accusing the Head of the Education Department, Samir Kumar Sahu, of sexual harassment and blaming institutional inaction for her extreme step.
She sustained critical burn injuries covering 90–95% of her body. Initially treated at Balasore Medical College, she was later shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, where she succumbed to her injuries at 11:46 p.m. on July 14, despite being on mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Pradesh Youth Congress staged a protest at Ram Mandir Square in Bhubaneswar, burning effigies of the Chief Minister and Education Minister, accusing the government of failing to respond to Soumyashree’s complaint in time.
