MALKANGIRI : After a week-long pursuit, Malkangiri police successfully apprehended a teacher of the Ekalavya Model Residential School (EMRS) on allegations of sexual harassment.
The accused Bibhuti Prasad Panda was arrested in Boudh district on Monday and presented before a local court on Tuesday.
According to IIC of Malkangiri model police station Rigan Kindo, Panda faces charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and SC&ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The arrest follows accusations of sexual harassment by a female student of the school against Panda during a train journey back from Mayurbhanj in January.
The incident sparked outrage among EMRS students, leading to protests and disruptions at the school premises on February 6, demanding action against the accused teacher.
The incident occurred while Panda, accompanied by four girls and one boy from EMRS, was returning from Mayurbhanj after participating in sports training for kabaddi and kho-kho, police said adding, the victim refrained from reporting the incident until February 6, when she confided in her classmates.
This revelation prompted students unrest and an FIR was filed by the girl’s father on February 7.
But Panda had been evading authorities since the allegations surfaced. However, he was located in Boudh district, leading to his arrest by the Malkangiri police.