Berhampur: Police in Ganjam district, Odisha, have arrested Biswajit Jena (24), a final-year BCA student at a private engineering college and nephew of Odisha’s Transport, Commerce, Steel and Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, on Sunday for abetment to suicide.
This arrest came after the death of a 20-year-old second-year BCA student at the same institution, who was discovered hanging from the ceiling of her hostel room on the morning of June 21. She was taken to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, where she was pronounced dead by doctors.
Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M stated that a case was filed at Golanthara police station under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abetment to suicide, following a complaint from the deceased woman’s maternal uncle. The complainant alleged that the victim was in a relationship with Biswajit and that mental pressure and harassment from him led her to take her own life.
Senior police officials, including the SP, visited the scene with a scientific team and an executive magistrate. They seized the deceased student’s laptop and mobile phone, along with electronic devices belonging to the accused, for forensic and technical analysis. CCTV footage from the hostel premises was also collected.
Authorities have interrogated the victim’s friends and acquaintances to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The probe is in its preliminary stage. We are verifying the accusations made by the family members and collecting digital evidence. We will be able to provide more details as the investigation progresses,” a senior police officer remarked.
The deceased was residing in the girls’ hostel with her sister and three other roommates.
Previously, opposition parties, including the BJD, called for the immediate arrest of the accused, irrespective of his family ties. Former MLA and BJD’s Ganjam district president Ramesh Chandra Ayyau Patnaik stressed that “the law must take its own course.”
Minister Jena was unavailable for comment regarding his nephew’s arrest.
