2 senior edu dept officials, PT teacher held for woman’s sexual harassment

Sambalpur: Two senior education department officials and a teacher were arrested in Bargarh district for the alleged sexual harassment of a woman teacher.

Bargarh SP Prahlad Sahai Meena said the action followed a complaint forwarded by the district administration after an internal inquiry by the department’s internal complaints committee (ICC). “The ICC probed the allegations and lodged a complaint with the police on Wednesday. After questioning the accused the same day, we arrested them on Thursday,” the SP said.

The accused have been identified as district education officer (DEO) Jyotikant Sahu, block education officer (BEO) Surendra Sahu and physical education teacher Sameer Panigrahi. While the DEO is a native of Jharsuguda district, the other two are residents of Bargarh.

Sources said the complainant had first approached the district collector’s grievance cell earlier this month, accusing the trio of repeated sexual misconduct and harassment. According to the complaint, the accused allegedly sent obscene messages at different times and engaged in inappropriate behaviour and harassment at the workplace.

Acting on it, the ICC initiated a probe, during which it recorded statements of several department personnel and examined text messages and call records linked to the accused. After finding prima facie evidence, the administration referred the matter to the police.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case and launched an investigation. A three-member team was constituted to probe the allegations, the SP said, adding police have also sought all details of their findings from the ICC.

The accused have been booked under various provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, as well as Sections 75 (sexual harassment), 79 (insult to the modesty of a woman), 308 (extortion), 201 (public servant framing incorrect document) and 351(2)/3(5) (criminal intimidation) of the BNS.

They were later produced in court, which remanded them in judicial custody. Further investigation is underway.



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