Sexual abuse case; Utkal University Professor arrested

Bhubaneswar, May 14 (UNI) Utkal University Psychology Professor Adhikari Srikant Das was arrested and forwarded to the court today on charges of harassing six PG Diploma girl students during a field study in Kendrapada last month.

The professor, suspended last Tuesday following allegations of using obscene language, criminal intimidation and making gestures to insult the modesty of women,was arrested last night from Jharpada and forwarded to the court today, police said.

Six students of PG Diploma in Early Childhood Education Department of Utkal University had alleged that the Professor had harassed them during a field trip in Kendrapada due to which they had to abandon the study trip and returned to the campus.

The girl students later lodged a written complaint with the Chairperson of the Sexual harassment Cell of the University who in turn submitted a report to University Vice Chancellor L N Mishra recommending action against the professor.

The Vice-Chancellor, while suspending the Professor, forwarded the report to the Police station which was treated as FIR. Police had lodged cases under section 294,506 and 509 of the IPC besides section 3 of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (prevention of Atrocities) Act against the professor on last Thursday.

Police said the professor during interrogation had denied the charges leveled against him by the six students.

Meanwhile, two more Post Graduate Psychology students of the University had also leveled similar allegations against two Professors of the Department before the Sexual harassment Cell. The matter is likely to be discussed in the full committee of the Cell reconstituted by the Vice-Chancellor on Monday next.

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