Rourkela: Police on Sunday raided the house of suspended Chief Security Officer (CSO) of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, Balaram Champatiray in connection with his alleged involvement in sexual harassment in the institute premises.
Sources said the cops found Champatiray absconding and his house locked.
The police started the investigation on the basis of three FIRs lodged at the Sector-3 police station by two women security guards and the institute director.
One of the complainants told media persons, “The Security officer was torturing and harassing us sexually. We want he should be punished and thrown out of the NIT.”
On the details of the FIRs, PK Mishra, DSP, Rourkela, said, “Two women security guards have lodged complaints alleging sexual harassment and abuse. Besides, the Fact Finding team formed by the NIT director has lodged an FIR against Champatiray. We will club all the complaints together and probe into the matter.”
Notably, on May 25, students of the NIT had caught Champatiray groping a woman security officer inside his office.
The students, who photographed Champatiray in the act, have launched a protest demanding his removal for sexual harassment of the subordinates by the Security Officer. They have alleged that Champatiray had been harassing more than a dozen women working under him.
The students are demanding arrest of Champatiray and an inquiry into the whole incident. Moreover, they have also sought the intervention of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
"We want the intervention of the MHRD and till that time we do not want to talk to any of the authorities here," said a protesting student.
"No they are making an issue about our stance rather than focusing on the accused. We want to know why and under whose direction the issue was being supressed since so many years," said another agitating student.