A college student from Balasore, Odisha, who set herself on fire after alleging inaction on her sexual harassment complaint, has passed away. The 20-year-old B.Ed. student had accused Samira Kumar Sahu, Head of the Education Department, of sexual harassment. With no action taken on her complaint, she immolated herself on July 12 on the college campus.
Political uproar in Odisha
Her death has sparked political outrage in the state. Opposition parties, including the BJD and Congress, have called her death an instance of “institutional betrayal.” The Congress has also announced a bandh for July 17.
Saving Nimisha Priya
The execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, sentenced to death for the murder of a Yemeni national, has been postponed by 24 hours. Reports indicate that the Grand Mufti of India, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, is leading last-minute efforts to convince the victim’s family to accept blood money, the only legal recourse under Yemeni law to stop the execution.
This intervention comes a day after the Indian government informed the Supreme Court that it had exhausted all options to save Nimisha’s life.
S Jaishankar meets Xi Jinping
In the geopolitical space, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday. In a social media post following the meeting, the EAM said he apprised President Xi on recent developments in India-China bilateral relations.
This marks Dr. Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the June 2020 military standoff between the two countries. He is currently in China to attend the Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
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Tesla makes India debut
In the world of business, a long wait has finally ended with Elon Musk’s Tesla officially driving into India. The American EV giant has launched its India operations from Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex, where it has opened a 4,000-square-foot experience centre.
Tesla has also begun taking bookings for two variants of its Model Y. The lower variant is priced at 61 lakh rupees on-road, while the higher variant comes in at over 69 lakh rupees. Deliveries are expected to begin in the last quarter of the year.
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Marginal uptick on Dalal Street
After starting the week on a weak note, Indian equities saw a marginal uptick on Tuesday. The Sensex gained three tenths of a per cent, inching closer to 82,500, while the Nifty rose to nearly 25,200, posting a similar rise.
