Sexual slur: Litterateur Haraprasad Das files defamation suit

Bhubaneswar: Noted litterateur Haraprasad Das on Saturday filed a defamation suit against eight persons, including a woman lecturer, over sexual harassment charges levelled against him.
He has named the editor and publisher of a vernacular daily, former Vice-Chancellor of Utkal University of Culture Dr. Bimalendu Mohanty and some other persons including Manu Das, Asit Mohanty, Amiya Pandav, Umakant Rout, Pallishree Patnaik and Kulangar in the suit filed with Bhubaneswar Senior Civil Judge court and SDJM court here, sources said.
The multiple award-winning writer was dragged into this controversy after a Kalahandi-based woman teacher-writer put up chat messages on Facebook, accusing him of indecent approach. She alleged that Das messaged her late in the night and asked her whether she was ‘sleeping alone’ and also to send him selfies.
Following this, a cultural outfit knocked the doors of State Commission for Women demanding stern action against the writer.
Refuting the allegation, Das said he had been inactive on Facebook since long and it could be the job of a hacker.