Bhubaneswar, Feb 7: Sambalpur University on Friday placed Assistant Professor Dr. Saroj Kumar Sahoo of the P.G. Department of Business Administration under suspension following allegations of sexual harassment levelled by a female PhD scholar. The action was initiated after a preliminary review by the university’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).

The suspension order was issued by the Registrar on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor. As per the directive, the ICC recommended that Dr. Sahoo be withdrawn from all academic and administrative responsibilities pending completion of a detailed inquiry into the complaint.

The official order stated that since the matter is under examination by the ICC, Dr. Sahoo has been relieved of his duties as a precautionary step. During the suspension period, he will receive a subsistence allowance equivalent to his leave salary, in accordance with university service rules.

He has also been barred from entering any academic department, administrative office, or the central library without prior permission. Additionally, he has been instructed to remain available at the office of the Chairman of the P.G. Council and extend full cooperation to the investigation.

University authorities clarified that the suspension is purely an administrative measure to ensure a fair and impartial probe and does not amount to a finding of guilt. The ICC will conduct the inquiry under the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013.

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