A horrifying incident has rocked the campus of Fakir Mohan University in Odisha’s Balasore district, where a woman narrowly escaped an attempted rape inside her own home — a place where she believed she was safe.
The accused, Shankar Patra, hailing from the Nilgiri area, posed as an LPG cylinder mechanic to gain entry into the official quarters of an assistant professor. What unfolded next is the kind of nightmare no woman should ever have to endure.
It was a quiet Saturday afternoon when the man rang the doorbell. Believing it to be a routine gas check, the professor’s wife let him in. But within moments, the atmosphere shifted chillingly. Once inside, he locked the door and lunged at the woman.
In a display of immense courage and presence of mind, the woman fought back, escaped his grip, and locked herself in another room.
There, she called her husband and screamed for help. Her cries rang through the campus and were heard by security guards at the colony gate, who rushed to her aid. They overpowered the accused and handed him over to the police.
This incident has sent shockwaves through the Fakir Mohan University community, which houses not just faculty quarters but also women’s hostels. The fear and tension are palpable. If a woman isn’t safe within the supposedly secure confines of a university campus, where is she safe?
But this is not an isolated event. The numbers are damning.
According to the Odisha government’s white paper, 3,054 rape cases were reported in 2024 alone — an 8% increase over the previous year. That’s eight women sexually assaulted every single day. And women’s rights activists believe the actual number is far higher, masked by silence, fear, and societal stigma that discourages many from speaking out.
The outrage has reached political levels. Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in a scathing post on X, highlighted the disturbing surge in crimes against women across the state — pointing to rapes in Jajpur, gangrapes in Jagatsinghpur and Malkangiri, and sexual assaults in Puri.
He held the BJP-led government accountable, citing political interference in policing as a key reason for the breakdown in law and order. “When the police face interference and pressure,” Patnaik warned, “accountability collapses, and it is our women and girls who suffer the most.”
This isn’t just about a single crime — it is a larger, systemic rot. A rot where predators walk with impunity, where women live in fear, and where justice is too often delayed or denied.
When will this stop? How many more survivors must speak through screams and sobs before our systems wake up? How many more locked doors will fail to protect the ones behind them?
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