A public health manager at an urban primary health centre in Odisha’s Cuttack district has been arrested on charges of sexually harassing a woman doctor and a pharmacist over several months, police said.
The two women, employed at the Bamphakuda Urban Primary Health Centre, lodged a complaint against public health manager Nishitha Ranjan Sahoo at the Cuttack Sadar police station. Inspector-in-charge Om Prakash Mohanty said Sahoo allegedly passed lewd remarks, harassed the women, and threatened to use his influence with senior health officials to have them transferred if they resisted.
“Following the complaint, we launched an investigation and, based on prima facie evidence, arrested Sahoo under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He has been forwarded to court,” Mohanty stated.
Chief district medical officer Prasant Kumar Hota said the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) had already been probing the matter and will recommend departmental action after submitting its report.
According to the doctor’s statement, Sahoo would touch her hands under the pretext of signing documents and deliberately stand close to female staff to make physical contact. The pharmacist alleged that he would touch her hair and cheeks and even lift her veil to sniff it. She claimed similar behaviour was directed at a female data entry operator and nursing staff.
The women said they had earlier approached authorities, including additional district urban public health officer Satyabrata Mahapatra, but no action was taken until their formal police complaint.