CUTTACK: The Cuttack Sadar police on Sunday detained Indra Bhuban Jatra Party manager Manoj Nayak on a casting couch complaint lodged against him by a female actor of the opera group on Saturday.
But other actors of the opera group gheraoed the police station protesting Nayak’s detention.
“We have been working with Manoj Nayak for many years. He is very sober. The woman has brought the charge to defame him and the opera sector. We want a proper inquiry and stringent action against the female actor for defaming the jatra sector,” said agitating actors.
The actor has in her complaint said that Nayak had sexually harassed her on promise of giving a lead role in a play.
“The actor’s allegations are baseless. In jatra, such things never happen. This is being done to defame jatra. Things will be clear after the police investigation,” said Jatra Kalakar Sangh president and noted actor Daitari Panda.