Sexual Harassment: Kendrapara Credit Coop Society President Sent To Jail

Kendrapara: Kendrapara Credit Cooperative Society president Pramod Sahu, who detained by the Town Police on Sunday night on sexual harassment charges, was sent to Barimul Jail on Monday.

According to police sources, Sahu was arrested following interrogation and produced in the court of the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SJDM) after undergoing a medical test at the district headquarters hospital. The court later rejected Sahu’s bail plea and remanded him to the jail custody.

Notably, a lady staff of the Kendrapara Credit Cooperative Society had lodged a complaint of sexual harassment against Sahu with the police. She had provided call records and voice messages of Sahu to the police and the media as evidence.

She further told police that Sahu made an attempt to have a physical relationship with her at his farmhouse.

The victim had earlier alleged that police was shielding Sahu since he belongs to the ruling party.

She had also threatened to commit suicide if justice was not meted out to her.

Meanwhile, the BJD in a release later in the day said that Sahu had resigned from the party a long time back. He has no relationship with the BJD, it added.

This was followed by a show-cause notice issued by the Registrar of the State Cooperative Societies Bibhuti Bhusan Patnaik to Sahu to reply within a week as to why he should not be removed from the post of president of the District Cooperative Society under sub-section 8 of section 32 of the Odisha Cooperative Societies Act, 1962 for his immoral conduct.

Besides, the Registrar also debarred Sahu from performing all office works as the president of the managing committee and a member of the Society.