BARGARH: Odisha government on Friday suspended Bargarh district education officer (DEO) Jyotikanta Sahoo and block education officer (BEO) Surendra Kumar Sahu following their arrest in a workplace sexual harassment case.
Separate orders issued by the School and Mass Education department stated that both officers, arrested on April 30 have been placed under suspension under provisions of the Odisha Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1962. As per the government orders, after release from judicial custody, Jyotikanta’s headquarters will remain at the office of the Regional Director of Education, Sambalpur.
Surendra’s headquarters has been fixed at the district education office, Bargarh. Both officers have been barred from leaving headquarters without prior permission of the competent authority and will be entitled to subsistence allowance as per service rules.
The case against the suspended officials was registered under relevant sections of the BNS along with provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
The incident came to light after a woman CRCC-level employee approached the deputy collector alleging workplace sexual harassment. Following preliminary inquiry, Bargarh Town police registered an FIR and arrested Jyotikanta and Surendra. Police had stated that the BEO, backed by the DEO, played a key role in harassment of women staff.
After their arrest, the district administration had recommended suspension of the DEO and the BEO to the state government on May 12.
The suspension orders came days after the Bargarh administration suspended Satlama high school’s physical education teacher (PET) Sameer Kumar Panigrahi, another accused in the case, over allegations of fund misappropriation on May 4. The PET teacher, who was also arrested, is accused of misappropriating government funds.