Medical college professor suspended on alleged sexual assault charge

The Odisha government suspended a professor of the SCB Medical College after he was arrested on the alleged charge of sexual harassment and assault of a girl student belonging to the Scheduled Caste.

“Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved a proposal recommending suspension of Prof. Laxmidhar Das, head of the Anaesthesia Department,” an official at the Chief Minister’s Office said.

Prof. Das was arrested under sections 354 (A) (sexual harassment) and 354 D (stalking) besides the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Inspector A.K. Swain of the Mangalabag police station in Cuttack said.

On student’s complaint

The arrest was made on the basis of a complaint filed by the PG student of the department. The student had earlier recorded her statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code and submitted an audio CD as proof of her charges.

Prof. Das was sent to jail after his bail plea was rejected by a court in Cuttack on February 26.

The complainant hailing from Puducherry had alleged that Prof. Das had called her to the department on February 2 and molested her. She also alleged that the professor had been making sexual advances to her since September last year.

Denies charges

The accused professor had, however, said, “The allegations are baseless and concocted. I have never misbehaved with any girl student.”