Bhubaneswar: The Commissionerate Police Thursday arrested senior OAS officer, Bibhu Prasad Sarangi who was accused of sexual misconduct against a woman colleague at the Directorate of Ayush under the state Health and Family Welfare department here. He had come to the Mahila Police station for interrogation following a notice sent to him by the police.
Earlier, a woman employee of the directorate had Monday lodged a case (34/20) with Mahila Police in this regard.
The 25-year- old lady from Kendrapara is engaged as a contractual worker on an outsourcing basis at the directorate. She alleged that Sarangi, the director at the Ayush Directorate, reportedly coerced her to keep sexual relationship with him.
She has also accused Sarangi of sending obscene videos and text messages on her WhatsApp number. According to the complaint lodged by the lady, Sarangi also verbally abused her and threatened her with dire consequences when she blocked Sarangi on WhatsApp. Sarangi allegedly also threatened to dismiss her from service when she objected to the advances made by Sarangi, who repeatedly sent her vulgar videos and messages.
Left with no option, the victim sought the help of police to save her from the ‘advances’ made by Sarangi.
Meanwhile, Sarangi has also lodged a counter complaint at Capital police station on the following day accusing the woman employee of trying to falsely implicating him in a fabricated case. He also alleged that the woman employee, with the help of her male friend, plotted to malign him.
Sarangi rubbished the allegations and claimed that the obscene materials were not sent from his mobile number. He also urged the police to send the vulgar materials along with the voice call recordings to the forensic lab for examination.