FM College Self-Immolation: Two Students Arrested, CCTV Footage Uncovered
Crime Branch cracks down with arrests, explores conspiracy and abetment angles in 16-year-old student’s tragic death
In a major development in the FM College student self-immolation case, the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested two students and recovered crucial CCTV footage that may shed light on the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
The two students — Subhra Sambit Nayak and Jyoti Prakash Biswal — were arrested late Sunday night on charges of criminal conspiracy and abetment of suicide. Investigators are also probing a potential larger conspiracy behind the incident. Both were produced before the SDJM Court in Balasore, which rejected their bail applications and remanded them to 15 days of judicial custody.
According to Crime Branch officials, forensic evidence, digital data, and eyewitness accounts have linked the two accused to the events that led to the 16-year-old student setting herself ablaze on the FM College campus on July 12. The girl, who allegedly doused herself in petrol, was rushed to AIIMS Bhubaneswar with severe burns. She succumbed to her injuries after 23 days of treatment.
Notably, Jyoti Prakash had initially claimed he sustained injuries while attempting to rescue the girl. He was admitted to SCB Medical College in Cuttack but has since been discharged. Investigators now suspect his rescue narrative may have been fabricated to mislead authorities.
These arrests follow the earlier detention of FM College Principal Dillip Ghosh and B.Ed department head Sameer Sahu, both booked for negligence and suspected complicity in the case. They remain in custody.
In a parallel development, investigators have retrieved new CCTV footage showing the victim riding a bicycle toward a petrol pump at 10:44 AM on July 12 — hours before the incident. Captured on a surveillance camera along the route from FM College to Chandipur, the footage is being analyzed to determine whether she purchased the petrol herself or if someone else was involved.
Officials are cross-referencing the footage with transaction records and additional CCTV material from nearby areas. Witness testimonies are also being examined to piece together the sequence of events.
The case has triggered widespread outrage across Odisha, with civil society groups and student unions demanding justice and accountability. With four individuals now under arrest, the Crime Branch has assured that all angles — including harassment, institutional neglect, and psychological pressure — are being thoroughly investigated.
