Students protest sexual harassment by headmaster in Odisha

ROURKELA: Tribal girl students of a government-run residential school in Balishankara block of Sundargarh district staged a road blockade accusing their differently-abled headmaster of sexual harassment on Friday.

Demanding the arrest and suspension of headmaster Pramod Patel, the students of Girls High School, managed by the SC and ST department, staged a road blockade near the school as a result of which traffic on Balishankara-Chhattisgarh road was disrupted from 9 am to 12 noon.

In a complaint lodged with Talasara police station, the students alleged Patel abused and misbehaved with all of them. But seven girl students of classes IX and X were at the receiving end of his sexually inappropriate behaviour. They claimed the headmaster made sexual advances, inappropriately touched them and made vulgar remarks. On one occasion, Patel also allegedly lifted the skirt of a student in the classroom. The students further alleged Patel used to make them wash his clothes.

Sundargarh district welfare officer Pabitra Mohan Pradhan said the students called off the agitation after being assured of definite action. Pradhan said he talked to several victims and would submit an appropriate report to Sundargarh collector for submission to the government at the earliest. Patel was unreachable as his mobile was switched off. His phone number has been shared with police, he said.