Odisha: Women’s College Principal Arrested For Sexual Harassment, Students Support Him

Koraput: The students of a college in the district have appealed to the collector and SP to order investigation by appropriate authorities into the case of sexual harassment against their principal.

Speaking strongly in support of the principal, Pabitra Kumar Bedanta, the former and present students of +2 Junior Women’s College in Sunabeda on Saturday alleged that he was a victim of conspiracy.

“We feel that our principal was falsely implicated. The mobile phone of the complainant should be confiscated and analysed to ascertain the truth,” said a former student. The students appealed to the district collector and the SP to direct an investigation by the cyber police into the allegations.

Bedanta was arrested by police on November 3 after a 23-year-old woman computer operator in the college lodged a complaint against the principal alleging that he was sexually harassing her. He was even trying to touch her inappropriately on several occasions on the campus, she claimed.

The woman had also alleged that the principal had made sexual advances at her on repeated occasions which she had turned down. Besides, he was sharing inappropriate messages on her mobile phone, the woman complained.