BHAWANIPATNA: Police on Tuesday arrested a data entry operator of a government higher secondary school in Kalahandi district on charges of sexually harassing and mentally torturing a female student.
The accused, Soumya Ranjan Tripathi, worked as a contractual data entry operator in Jagannath Kaushalya Higher Secondary School at Risida within M Rampur police limits. He was arrested for allegedly harassing a female Plus II student in July 2023. The victim was 17 years old then.
Sources said Tripathi captured photographs of the girl without her consent and refused to delete those despite repeated requests. The victim also alleged that he tried to touch her inappropriately and sexually harassed her multiple times.
The matter escalated recently when Tripathi allegedly circulated a video claiming that he had given the girl `2 lakh and she did not return it. The girl denied the claim, stating it was false and defamatory. The girl, who is 19-years-old now, submitted a complaint to the district administration on July 17. Following a preliminary inquiry, Tripathi was transferred on deputation to Belkhandi Higher Secondary School on July 19.
On July 21, the M Rampur tehsildar, child development project officer (CDPO) and local police visited the girl’s residence to record her statement. A formal FIR was lodged the same day.
Based on her complaint, Tripathi was arrested on Tuesday and booked under sections 75, 79 and 351 (2) of the BNS, section 12 of the POCSO Act and sections 66 and 67 of the Information Technology Act. The accused was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody.