Abstract
In Odisha high – profile crimes and self – Immolation cases rates are getting higher, which has generated significant legal and political discourse. This paper examines the complex connection between the cyber harassment, mental health vulnerability and the legal frameworks created with specific purpose to protect the citizens. Despite the existence of cybercrime laws and mental health statutes gaps in enforcement and institutional accountability have intensified public distrust and political fallout. By analyzing recent cases, media reports and legislative provisions, this research highlight the systemic weaknesses which widespread and contribute to societal impact on such crimes. Using a doctrinal research methodology, supported by qualitative analysis of secondary data including recent case reports, judicial pronouncements, and verified media accounts, to analyze how current legal mechanisms addresses the protection of the individuals – particularly those who have risks of self-harm due to harassment, abuse of power or political pressure. It critically examines the institutional responses from law enforcement, cyber cells, and mental health boards, while also evaluating the influence of political narratives in shaping public perception and delivery of justice. The study further draws on comparative jurisprudence from other Indian states and selected International jurisdiction to identify best practices in authorizing mental health consideration into legal responses into cybercrime and harassment. By mapping patterns in both state actions and inaction, the paper reveals deep – rooted governance and policy deficiencies. Finally, this research proposes a set of actionable reforms: strengthening cybercrime investigative capacity, ensuring survivor – centered and trauma – informed legal processes, enhancing mental health crisis intervention protocols, and creating independent oversight bodies to prevent political misuse of law enforcement. These recommendations aim to restore public trust, close implementation gaps, and promote a balanced legal framework that upholds both individual dignity and institutional accountability in Odisha.
Keyword
High – Profile Crimes, self – immolation, political fallout, cyber harassment laws, Institutional accountability, Odisha legal system.
Introduction
Odisha is a state which socio – political fabric is very complex and its landscape is also continuously evolving. In recent years Odisha’s high – profile crimes and deeply disturbing self – immolation cases have been found. These cases have been amplified by media which widespread public outrage, state – wide protest, political confrontations, and also call for institutional reforms. The political fallout from such cases, from allegations on government for inaction to demands the leadership accountability. This shows how much the trust have been fragile between public and governing bodies.
High – profile crimes is not just limited in Odisha, but the trend of the intersection of two distinct yet interconnected phenomena: at one side violent crimes with political overtones and other self – immolation as an extreme form of probtest. Self – immolation has been historically used to be a form of political or social dissent, but in today’s context it is mostly connected to harassment, mental health distress and denial of justice. Mostly these cases are linked with cyber harassment, institutional neglect and power abuse, where victim sees no they do not have any viable recourse in legal or administrative framework.
India’s legal framework Information Technology Act, 2000, Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023 or Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 which provides some safeguard. However in Odisha the enforcement of these are uneven: lack of trained personnel, procedural delays and in some cases political interference have been also seen. Cyber harassment cases, which often precede acts of extreme self – harm, which stays underreported or did not properly investigate, in which because of these survivors did not get any closure or protection. And just like this, mental health intervention stays sporadic and poorly integrated into the justice system.
Political dimension make this more complex. High – profile crimes have been twisted into political narratives that either weaponize or sometimes downplay incidents depending on partisan advantage. In the recent cases “bandhs” (statewide shutdowns) have been seen,[1] it is the example how the political actors uses public sentiments, sometimes at the expenses of judicial process and fact based discourse. In these process the real issue – victim protection, fair investigation, and prevention of recurrence every time got sidelined.
Against this backdrop, this research paper will explore the Odisha legal and institutional shortcomings which persist these incidents, and also studies the political dynamics that influence their resolution. It will analyze the recent Odisha based cases, legislative provisions, and enforcement patterns, the study aims to identify actionable reforms that addresses cyber harassment, mental health protection, and political accountability in the context of high – profile crimes and self – immolation cases.
Research Methodology
In this research paper doctrinal legal research methodology have been adopted, in which it has been focused in critical analysis of media reports, statements, media websites and some minor articles, especially in the context of Odisha’s high – profile crime and self – immolation cases. This study have been mainly based on secondary sources which used to collect data from books, journal articles, media reports, government documents and online legal data bases. Doctrinal research is suitable for this paper because it gives a detailed understanding of legal frameworks governing cyber harassment, mental health protection, and institutional accountability. Comparatively the perspectives from national frameworks and international human rights standards are incorporated to framing Odisha’s situation within broader debates on law and justice. The paper uses a case – based analysis of incidents where political fallout and public outrage influenced justice delivery, combine these findings to identify systematic gaps and propose reforms. Due to the nature of the incidents under study, certain cases did not result in formal litigation; for example, some high-profile crimes and self-immolation cases were dismissed by the courts following external investigations. Consequently, primary legal sources such as case laws are not available for all instances discussed.
Additionally, while issues such as cyber harassment and mental health protection are increasingly recognized as relevant factors in these incidents, no specific legal cases or judgments could be located addressing these aspects within the context of Odisha. Evidence for these issues has been gathered from credible news reports, governmental statements, and expert commentary. These limitations have been acknowledged, and the research emphasizes observed patterns and policy gaps rather than formal judicial outcomes. The study includes six carefully verified citations to ensure the credibility and reliability of the sources used.
Review of Literature
In Odisha high – profile crimes are much documented, media as well government both reports have highlighted these crimes. Researchers, journalists and legal commentators agrees that such cases not only isolates but reflects deep institutional lapses and governance failure. In the Balasore self – immolation case (2025)[2] where a college student set herself in fire after alleging sexual harassment and institutional inaction; a 20year old BEd student, who had earlier complained of harassment, where she harassed over 6 months by her HOD of department, she complaint to every authority but no one takes action for which she set herself fire and got 95% of burns and Perish to injuries passed in aiims hospital, Bhubaneswar after 20 days, which sparking massive statewide protests and demand for justice. The cremation drew thousands, with the villagers and public representatives alleging administrative negligence and political protection of the accused.
The political fallout was equally significant, with the opposition parties calling for an “Odisha bandh” and violent demonstrations near the state assembly. This shows how cases of gender based violence in Odisha are not merely legal issue but catalysts for political mobilization and public outrage. From a legal standpoint, a PIL before the Odisha High Court sought a judicially monitored SIT probe into the balasore case. However, court dismissed this matter a state appointed SIT was already doing the investigation. But because of this questions started to raise on the transparency and accountability.[3] Which leads to the political aggressiveness and public outrage and there was one day state shut down in Odisha because of the protest between political parties where other local government started to demand for resignation of chief minister of Odisha. Apart from the justice of the girl it got worse because politicians hates towards each other, “blame game”.
With this, India Tracker data (2025) shows that Odisha is also in those top five states where crimes against women have been rise and report a lot. In only one week there have been three gang – rape cases reported, which raise serious question mark on the safety environment of the state.[4] Odisha’s news websites shows daily cases of rapes, gang – rapes, murder, setting fire to the minors in those areas where no one heard any single cases before and it is still rising.[5] According to experts, the institutional inaction, delayed in justice and cyber harassment which has lack of monitoring systems creates these conditions where the victims got bound to take these extreme steps such as self – immolation. [6]
Some of existing reports highlights that in Odisha the mental health framework is weak. Even after mental healthcare Act, 2017 survivor centric psychological supports is not properly implement. This gaps reinforce the stigma surrounding victims of harassment and reduces confidence in institutional remedies.
Therefore, scholars and media both agrees to highlights a troubling nexus of weak enforcement of cyber and sexual harassment laws, political interference in sensitive cases, and systematic neglect in mental health in Odisha. Together these factors not only grows crimes but creates a strong feeling in public’s sense of institutional betrayal. And giving chance to every single accused to do their crime in middle of these because of the neglect happening around. It shook everyone that in a month there was sudden rise in rape, abduction, immolation which never happened in Odisha. And now it is growing fast women suciding in their hostel, setting own self fire etc. highlighting these issue is a better way if they are not applying for FIR against anyone.
Method
This research systematically examines high – profile crimes and self – immolation cases in Odisha from 2020 to 2025. The study relies primarily on secondary sources which are:
- Official statistics: Data from the India Tracker (2020 – 2025) to track the last five years crime trends happening in Odisha against women.
- Media reports: newspapers and online newIs websites which are Odisha TV (OTV), Sambad, Times of India, the economic times etc. to analyze the specific incidents, institutional responses and public reactions.
- Scholarly articles and commentaries: research addressing intersections of law, politics and mental health for comparative insights.
- Identification of high – profile crimes including self – immolation, sexual harassment, and gang – rape incidents in Odisha during 2020 – 2025.
- Extraction of relevant statistics and trends from India Tracker reports.
- Review of media reports and scholarly commentary to identify recurring themes such political interference, enforcement delays and mental health gaps.
- Cross checking statistical data with reported cases to highlight discrepancies and systemic weaknesses.
- The combination of doctrinal and qualitative analysis enables a comprehensive understanding of both legal frameworks and socio – political contexts.
- The focus on 2020 – 2025 ensures relevance to current institutional challenges and public safety concerns.
- Reliance on secondary sources and media reports may include biases or incomplete information.
- Some case specific details were inaccessible due to ongoing investigations or not lack of filed cases in police station.
- Findings are specific in Odisha and may not be generalizable to other regions.
- Able to mention the cases from media websites of Odisha which are not available in any websites of high court or district courts or NCRB.
Suggestions
- Strengthening Institutional Accountability: every institution should establish Internal Complaint Committees (ICC) in everywhere in Odisha with real time – monitoring everyone. Delays in actions or investigation or failed to act on harassment complaints should lead to fine/penalties for the institution itself.
- Integrating Mental health into legal framework: Amendments to the mental healthcare act, 2017 should include for survivors of sexual harassment and cyber abuse as vulnerable groups entitled to free counselling, psychological support and rehabilitation, because if the victim not able to explain anything there should be an psychological expert for the support she needs. Crisis intervention centers should be set up in all district hospitals in Odisha.
- Effective Enforcement of Cyber Harassment Laws: with online harassment often escalating into physical crimes, Odisha must create a specialized cybercrime task force with trained personnel to handle social media abuse, non – consensual sharing of intimate images and stalking cases under the bharatiya nyay sanhita, 2023.
- Fast track courts for gender based violence: Odisha should establish dedicated fast – track courts for cases of sexual harassment and self – immolation as well as abduction immolation cases which are linked to harassment, ensuring swift justice within a four to six months’ timeline without prioritizing political interference or any power of accused.
- Community awareness and preventive education: large scale awareness campaigns, especially in colleges and local areas or communities to educate people about the importance of mental health supports, legal consequences of sexual harassment and the availability of support service.
- Political and police accountability: political interference in high – profile sensitive crime which needs to prioritize victims justice must be minimize through judicial oversight committees, even if it is politician or any high authority person or any one is interfering in sensitive case for their profit should be take legal action by judiciary. Because of these higher authority police officers delaying registering the FIR in harassment or cybercrime cases because of the power of politicians or the higher authority should mandatorily face departmental actions, fine/suspension/resignation/legal actions against them.
Conclusion
The alarming rise of high-profile crimes and self-immolation cases in Odisha reflects not only social and legal failures but also the corrosive impact of political interests on justice and institutional functioning. These incidents frequently involving young women and vulnerable individuals reveal the consequences of political expediency, where cases are sidelined or manipulated to protect vested interests, preserve public image, or advance populist agendas. The Balasore self-immolation case exemplifies this troubling dynamic: despite widespread outrage, political leaders prioritized image management, protests, and selective narratives over timely intervention and meaningful justice. Such political maneuvering not only undermines victims’ rights but perpetuates a culture of impunity, emboldening perpetrators and contributing to a broader rise in crimes against women and marginalized groups.
Political actors, rather than acting as guardians of public safety, often leverage high-profile cases for political gain, resulting in inconsistent responses and selective attention. The prioritization of optics over accountability frequently leads to delayed investigations, superficial inquiries, or the outright dismissal of cases under the pretext of external factors. Consequently, systemic failures are tolerated or obscured, signaling to society that crimes particularly against women may not receive the protection or redress they deserve. The sidelining of the Balasore case, alongside numerous other instances of sexual harassment, cyber abuse, and violent crimes, illustrates how political calculations can directly exacerbate societal vulnerabilities rather than mitigate them.
Institutional accountability, which is supposed to serve as a buffer between citizens and administrative failure, is deeply compromised when political influence overrides procedural fairness. Educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, and bureaucratic bodies frequently exhibit apathy when political considerations take precedence. Complaints of harassment, assault, or threats are often dismissed, delayed, or inadequately addressed, creating an environment where victims feel helpless and unprotected. In many cases, victims face systemic indifference precisely because addressing their grievances could conflict with the political or economic interests of influential actors. Such institutional failures, reinforced by political interference, directly contribute to extreme responses, including self-immolation and public protests, which are often framed as politically inconvenient rather than urgent crises requiring intervention.
Legal frameworks, particularly around cyber harassment and digital abuse, remain insufficiently robust, further exacerbating the problem. While the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Indian Penal Code provide certain protections, implementation is often uneven, hampered by bureaucratic lethargy, and influenced by political priorities. Cyber harassment, defamation, and online intimidation, issues increasingly prevalent in cases involving young women, frequently go unaddressed due to lack of enforcement, delayed action, and political neglect. Without proactive measures, victims face not only psychological trauma but also a sense of invisibility within legal and political systems. The absence of comprehensive laws and responsive mechanisms leaves individuals exposed to persistent harm, further highlighting how political apathy can indirectly perpetuate crime and victimization.
Equally critical is the glaring inadequacy of mental health support. Victims of harassment, assault, and institutional neglect often experience severe psychological stress, depression, and trauma. In Odisha, mental health systems are limited, underfunded, and frequently inaccessible, particularly when political attention is absent or distracted by other priorities. Counseling services, crisis centers, and preventive mental health programs are rarely prioritized, leaving vulnerable individuals without timely intervention. This lack of systemic support, combined with political sidelining of cases, creates a dangerous environment in which despair can escalate to extreme acts, including self-immolation. Political inaction or selective intervention amplifies this vulnerability, reflecting a governance structure that places optics and electoral considerations above citizen well-being.
The convergence of political negligence, institutional apathy, legal gaps, and insufficient mental health support underscores a multidimensional crisis. High-profile crimes in Odisha are not isolated phenomena but a reflection of systemic failures exacerbated by political self-interest. To curb these trends, it is imperative that governance prioritizes justice over image, accountability over optics, and citizen protection over political expediency. This includes ensuring independent investigations free from political influence, strengthening enforcement mechanisms for cyber harassment, expanding mental health resources, and creating institutional protocols that cannot be overridden for political gain.
Media and civil society continue to play a critical role highlighting these case every day. By exposing systemic failures, highlighting neglected cases, and advocating for victims’ rights. However, without sustained political commitment, these interventions remain reactive rather than transformative. Citizens’ trust in governance and law enforcement hinges on the ability of political systems to address grievances impartially and to prioritize human life, dignity, and safety over short-term gains.
In conclusion, the rising incidence of high-profile crimes and self-immolation in Odisha is a stark indictment of the interplay between political interests, institutional failure, and societal vulnerabilities. Political calculations that prioritize optics, protests, or personal gain over justice contribute directly to the escalation of crimes against women and marginalized individuals. Bridging legal gaps, particularly in cyber harassment, strengthening institutional accountability, and ensuring mental health support are critical components of a holistic response. Odisha’s experience underscores the urgent need for governance that is empathetic, proactive, and independent of political expediency. Only through such systemic reform can the state prevent further tragedies, restore public trust, and create an environment in which justice, safety, and dignity are genuinely safeguarded for all citizens.
NAME: TASNEEM NAFISS
COLLEGE: CAPITAL LAW COLLEGE, BHUBANEWSAR ODISHA
[1] The Hindu, Grief, Outrage Pour in from All Quarters Following Odisha College Girl’s Death, Congress‑Led Opposition Calls for Odisha Bandh (July 15, 2025), https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/odisha/grief-outrage-pour-in-from-all-quarters-following-odisha-college-girls-death-congress-led-opposition-calls-for-odisha-bandh/article69813761.ece.
[2] Odisha TV, Self‑immolation Cases Surge in Odisha; “Mental Trap, Copycat Risk” Behind Balasore to Bargarh Tragedies, Suggest Experts (Aug. 16, 2025), https://odishatv.in/news/odisha/self-immolation-cases-surge-in-odisha-mental-trap-copycat-risk-behind-balasore-to-bargarh-tragedies-suggest-experts-269681.
[3] Deccan Herald, Orissa HC Refuses to Order SIT Probe in Self‑Immolation Case; Issues Notices to BJD, Congress (July 22, 2025), https://www.deccanherald.com/india/odisha/orissa-hc-refuses-to-order-sit-probe-in-self-immolation-case-issues-notices-to-bjd-congress-3642640.
[4] India Tracker, Odisha Sees Alarming Rise in Sexual Assault Cases, Three Gang Rapes Reported in a Week; A Look at Crime Against Women in India (June 25, 2025), https://www.indiatracker.in/story/odisha-sees-alarming-rise-in-sexual-assault-cases-three-gang-rapes-reported-in-a-week-a-look-at-crime-against-women-in-india.
[5] Sambad English, Odisha CM Assures ‘Exemplary Action’ in College Student’s Gang Rape Case (June 18, 2025), https://sambadenglish.com/latest-news/odisha-cm-assures-exemplary-action-in-college-students-gang-rape-case-9372568.
[6] Sambad English, Sharp Rise in Rape Cases in Odisha during Last Four Years (Apr. 17, 2023), https://sambadenglish.com/sharp-rise-in-rape-cases-in-odisha-during-last-four-years/.