Baragada: The principal of a private higher secondary college in Bardol on the outskirts of Baragada district has been arrested for allegedly taking a 15-year-old tuition student to a hotel room and sexually assaulting him, police said.
The accused, identified as Debadatta Pradhan, 35, of Bardol village, was produced in court Sunday. His bail plea was rejected and he was sent to the district jail, police said.
A case (566/2026) was registered at Baragada Town police station on the complaint of the boy’s father. Police said a condom was also seized from the hotel room. Further investigation is underway, Town police station inspector-in-charge Chittaranjan Meher said.
According to the complaint, the Class X student went to Pradhan’s residence for tuition at about 4pm Saturday. After teaching him for some time, Pradhan allegedly took the boy to a coaching centre in Baragada on the pretext of giving him additional lessons.
After spending some time there, he allegedly took the student to a hotel in Baragada, telling him that he would continue teaching him there. As it became late, the boy’s mother called Pradhan and asked about her son. Pradhan allegedly told her that the tuition had not yet finished and that the boy would stay with him for the night, according to the boy’s father.