Sexual Harassment Slur: Kendrapara Co-Op Society President Arrested

Kendrapara: Police arrested Kendrapara Credit Co-Operative Society president, Pramod Kumar Sahu in connection with alleged harassment of a lady employee.

According to sources, a platoon of police force led by Additional SP B Gagarin Mohanty reached Sahu’s Baniamal-based residence at around 11.30 pm Sunday night and took him into custody. He was taken to the Town Police Station where he was grilled for several hours.

Today morning, Sahu was taken to a hospital where his medical test was conducted. Later, he was arrested. He was also served show-cause notice by Registrar of cooperative societies and was debarred from attending office

According to sources, a lady employee of the cooperative society had approached the Town Police lodging complaint of sexual harassment by Sahu on April 30, 2019. However, the police allegedly refused to file a case following which the woman moved the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) court.  Three months later the Town Police registered a case in this regard following the direction of the SDJM court.

Narrating her ordeal during an interview with OTV, the lady employee said that the accused (Sahu) had repeatedly harassed her while she was working at the cooperative society and even forced to develop physical relationship with her.  She added that the accused threatened her with transfer, rape and murder when she resister her advances.

Later in the day, Sahu was sent to jail.