Post News Network
Cuttack, April 6: Human rights activists are concerned over the rise in sexual harassment incidents in educational institutions and workplaces in the city.
Tardy pace of prosecution and lack of stringent punishment against the guilty have led to a rise in incidents of sexual harassment. According to sources, four high profile sexual harassment cases in educational institutions and workplaces had been reported in the past year.
A professor of SCB Medical College and Hospital is reported to have misbehaved with some postgraduate girls in June last year. Mangalabagh police had registered a case in this connection on the basis of a complaint lodged with the deputy commissioner of police. SCB authorities, the commissionerate police and the state commission for women (SCW) had investigated the allegation. The health department had shifted the accused professor from SCB to appease the agitating students, sources said.
In a separate incident, a lady doctor at SCB had alleged sexual exploitation against one of her senior colleagues in October last. She had written to the hospital authorities and the health minister on the issue. A departmental inquiry was also initiated.
Sources in the district administration said a woman staffer at the Sarva Sikhya Abhiyan (SSA) office had alleged she was being sexually harassed by a senior official. The woman staffer had lodged a complaint with the DCP recently. An administrative inquiry was ordered and both the accused and the victim were transferred from the SSA office.
Very recently, a sexual harassment allegation has come up at the Bhubananand Orissa School of Engineering (BOSE). A senior instructor has been accused of harassing a girl during practical classes. Students have launched an agitation on the issue and demanded immediate arrest of the accused.
“Incidents of sexual harassment at workplaces and educational institutions are being reported these days thanks to increasing awareness among women. Now, the SCW has been regularly organising workshops on sexual harassment on women at workplace, prevention, prohibition and redressal Act to prevent such incidents,” said SCW member Snigdha Panigrahi.
