BARGARH : The district education officer (DEO) of Bargarh, along with two other officials, was arrested on charges of workplace sexual harassment and financial irregularities on Thursday.
DEO Jyotikant Sahu, block education officer (BEO) Surendra Kumar Sahu and Satalma High School’s physical education teacher Sameer Kumar Panigrahi have been accused of their involvement in sexual harassment of a woman staff.
The case came to light after a woman CRCC-level employee approached the deputy collector with allegations of being subjected to sexual harassment at her workplace. Acting on the complaint, the deputy collector conducted a preliminary inquiry following which an FIR was registered at Bargarh Town police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
During the investigation, police examined the roles of all three accused and found their involvement in the harassment allegations. The BEO, allegedly backed by the DEO, played a key role in the harassment of women staff while the sports teacher was accused of misappropriating government funds.
Briefing mediapersons, additional SP Siba Shankar Biswal said the three were initially detained for questioning after the complaint was lodged by the deputy collector. During preliminary investigation, the roles of all the accused in workplace harassment were ascertained and a fund misappropriation angle also came to light.
Police also seized their mobile phones and related documents which will be examined as part of the ongoing investigation. Officials said further details are expected as digital and documentary evidence is analysed. The accused were later produced before a court on the day.
BEO Sahu had earlier faced similar allegations in March 2023 during his tenure as Dhankauda BEO when teachers had complained of harassment against him. Prior to that, in 2021, he was caught in a vigilance trap while allegedly accepting a bribe during his posting in Hemgir block in Sundargarh.
