Police on Sunday arrested the director of a private paramedical institute here on the charge of sexually harassing students.
The arrestee was identified as Kodanda Dhara Sahu (35), director of the Indira Institute of Medical Science and Research (IIMSR) at GA Colony in Bharatpur under the Khandagiri police station.
Sources said that as many as 16 students of the institute pursuing Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT) had on Saturday lodged a complaint with the Khandagiri police alleging that they were harassed, abused and threatened by Sahu. The irate students had also ransacked the institute.
The students also alleged of not being provided with proper food, accommodation and other basic amenities in the hostel.
More than 20 students and locals had earlier congregated near the police station demanding immediate arrest and exemplary action against the accused. Police said Sahu, who was the founder and principal of the college, had allegedly harassed some students. When the torture became unbearable, the students sought police intervention.