Lecturer Arrested for Allegedly Sexually Assaulting 17-year-old Girl Student in Sambalpur

SAMBALPUR: In a shocking incident, Sambalpur police have arrested a 50-year-old lecturer from Naktideul Junior College in Rairakhol for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl student. The arrest follows a complaint lodged by the girl’s parents.

According to the complaint, the incident took place on December 24 when the accused lecturer, identified as Sanjeev Kumar Dash, asked the victim and two other students to assist him in cleaning the laboratory. After sending the other two girls outside to dispose of the garbage, Dash allegedly touched the survivor inappropriately. Although the girl managed to escape, she was left traumatized and did not attend college for several days.

The survivor, having gone to her native place due to a vacation on December 27, returned to the college on January 4. However, she felt too afraid to continue attending classes and expressed her desire to go back home on January 7. Disturbingly, before she left, the lecturer reportedly threatened to stay in touch with her, further intensifying her distress. She eventually resumed college on January 17 but continued to feel unsafe due to the lecturer’s presence around her, as mentioned in the complaint.

Frustrated by the lack of action taken by the college principal, the survivor disclosed the ordeal to her family, who promptly lodged a complaint with Naktideul police. As a result, the accused lecturer has been charged under Sections 341 and 354-A of the IPC, as well as Section 10 of the POCSO Act.

The Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), PK Meher, confirmed that the lecturer was detained on Monday. Following a preliminary investigation, he was arrested and produced before the court on Tuesday. The police are currently conducting further investigations into the matter.