Balasore: An FIR has been filed against Nilagiri MLA Santosh Khatua at Mahila police station in Bhubaneswar for his alleged derogatory remarks on BJD spokesperson Lekhashree Samantasinghar, which had stirred a a political controversy in Odisha.
He has been charged for sexual harassment, indecent remarks & defamation on the basis of a complaint lodged by the BJD leader. “Based on her complaint, we have registered a case under Sections 75(2) (sexual harassment), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman), 296 (obscene acts and songs) and 356 (defamation) of BNS. Investigation is in progress and the charges are being verified,” DCP Jagmohan Meena told TOI.
Khatua had made those remarks on Thursday while reacting to the allegations of the BJD leader about his involvement in the killing of an elephant and theft of tusks on June 15.
In her complaint, Lekhashree alleged that Khatua’s reaction was demeaning to his position and status as a woman politician as he went to extent of “portraying her as a prostitute and kingpin of a sex racket”. She further stated that the MLA not only tarnished her image, but also cast aspersions on every woman of Odisha, as well as all the women political workers, irrespective of party affiliations. “He has stooped so low in his utterances that it is difficult on my part to even narrate it here,” she added.
Earlier, an FIR was filed at the Nilagiri police station in Balasore district, in which the complaints condemned the remarks, which they saw on social media, as shameful and humiliating, especially toward women.
In a long post on X, BJD president and Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik had also termed the MLA’s remarks as ‘unfortunate and utterly unacceptable’. “Attempting to assassinate a woman’s character in public as a political response is a reflection of a deep-seated misogyny and is an attempt to silence women,” he wrote.
Lekhasri, who was BJP Odisha vice-president, quit the party and joined the BJD in the weeks preceding the 2024 elections and unsuccessfully contested from Balasore parliamentary seat.
