Even as harassment to women writers through Facebook chat by a noted litterateur has been a matter of public discussion over days, the writer in question has altogether refuted charges made against him at different forums, including the State Commission for Women.
The litterateur, Haraprasad Das, told media that he has not handled his Facebook account for long and that (unsavoury chats) might be a hacker’s job.
Notably, a teacher-writer has levelled serious charges against essayist and columnist Das that he harassed her on Facebook messenger through indecent messages. Coming to her support, members of a city-based literary organisation has also apprised State Commission for Women lopamudra Buxipatra about how Das harassed her and other women writers.
The teacher told a news channel that the author had even asked her whether she was ‘sleeping alone’ and send him selfies late at night.
She said she was initially taken aback that a personality of his stature appreciated her work. She responded to his messages since the discussions were about literature. But later he started making video calls to which she never answered. But sometimes he telephoned her after 11 pm
“Once he telephoned me at 11 pm. I said I was busy on phone with my husband who lives in Bhubaneswar. He then asked me if I was sleeping alone! I told him I live with my in-laws. He then asked me to send a selfie!” she alleged.
To find out if it was Das himself or an impostor with a fake account, she continuously posed him questions related to literature which he answered correctly, she said.
On Monday, a team of noted persons, including former Utkal University of Culture Vice-Chancellor Dr Bimalendu Mohanty, senior journalist Pradosh Patnaik, met SCW chief Buxipatra and apprised her how the accused litterateur harassed women writers on promises of giving them lift in the literary fields.
They requested Buxipatra to conduct an investigation and take stringent action against the accused soon.