BHUBANESWAR: An Assistant Professor of College of Basic Science and Humanities here has been stripped of all academic and administrative responsibilities after he was accused of sexually exploiting male students.
Vice-Chancellor of the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), under which the humanities college operates, has asked the errant teacher to proceed on leave.
The incident came to light on April 8 when four students approached the College’s Director and narrated their ordeal.
While one of them stated that the teacher had invited him to a park and sought sexual favours, another BSc final year student had also levelled similar allegations against him. “The professor invited me for lunch at a hotel after which he asked me to accompany him to his room where I was sexually exploited,” the student said.
The students said they were even threatened that they would get poor marks in examinations if they refused to yield to his perverse demands. The Assistant Professor of Chemistry has been serving at the institution for the last 13 years.
Speaking on the matter, Director of the institution Bikash Panda said, “Soon after receiving the complaint, I informed the Vice-Chancellor who has formed a three-member inquiry committee to probe the allegations,” the Director said.
The panel, comprising Professors, have been asked to submit the report within seven days. Till the inquiry report is out, the teacher has been asked to remain on leave and cooperate with the inquiry.