In Bargarh, two officers from the Odisha Education Service (OES) and a physical education teacher from a government school have been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a woman employee of the School and Mass Education department while abusing their authority. The police reported on Thursday that the accused also participated in financial irregularities.
The individuals arrested are District Education Officer (DEO) Jyotikanta Sahu, 45, from Khajurtikra in Ward No. 8 of Bargarh municipality; Block Education Officer (BEO) Surendra Kumar Sahu, 45, from Kanaktora village under Rengali police limits in Jharsuguda district; and Samir Kumar Panigrahi, 51, a physical education teacher at Satalma High School, residing in Bishipali under Barpali police limits in Bargarh district. Their arrests followed a departmental inquiry that substantiated the sexual harassment claims made by the victim.
Authorities seized three mobile phones and relevant documents from the accused. A case (229/26) was registered at Bargarh Town police station based on a complaint from Deputy Collector Sumati Panda. The accused were subsequently presented in a local court, where their bail requests were denied, leading to their remand in judicial custody.
Officials noted that the allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power were initially reported to District Collector Aditya Goyal. Following his directive, a committee led by Deputy Collector Panda was established to investigate the claims.
The inquiry validated the allegations, prompting Panda to file a formal complaint at the Town police station on Wednesday. Police summoned the suspects for questioning and arrested them after gathering evidence supporting the charges.
The investigation revealed that the BEO, with the DEO’s knowledge, allegedly harassed multiple female employees at their workplace, while PET Panigrahi was implicated in financial misconduct. Collector Goyal stated that complaints against certain officials in the district education department had been received recently.
An inquiry was conducted, and based on the findings, a complaint was lodged with the police. The police have initiated criminal proceedings, and the district administration will also take action against those arrested, he confirmed. As the investigation progresses, several details remain confidential.
Goyal emphasized that action will be taken against anyone found complicit in the misconduct.
