Balasore, Aug 4: The Odisha Crime Branch has arrested two students in connection with the suicide of a 20-year-old B.Ed student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to four.

The arrested students, identified as Shubhra Sambit Nayak and Jyotiprakash Biswal, were taken into custody on charges of abetment to suicide. Both were produced before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) in Balasore and remanded to 14-day judicial custody.

The arrests come nearly 20 days after the student succumbed to burn injuries sustained during a self-immolation attempt on July 12, outside the principal’s office. The incident occurred during a student protest over alleged inaction by college authorities on her repeated complaints of sexual harassment by Head of Department Samir Kumar Sahoo.

While Biswal was initially seen as a rescuer, reportedly sustaining injuries while trying to save the victim, investigators now allege both students played a role in mentally and emotionally provoking her.

Earlier, the Crime Branch had arrested Professor Samir Kumar Sahu and then Principal Dillip Kumar Ghose, both accused of ignoring the student’s formal complaints.