An assistant professor of Gangadhar Meher University (GMU), Sambalpur, was arrested on Thursday on charges of sexual exploitation of a girl student.

The accused has been identified as Dr Gopikanta Suna, an assistant professor in the school of education.

Suna allegedly exploited a 20-year-old girl, a second-year student of the integrated BEd course at GMU, under the pretext of marriage. Suna ditched her and even threatened her with dire consequences when she eventually asked for marriage.

The girl later lodged a complaint with the police, who then arrested the accused and produced him in a local court. As per the FIR, the professor entered into a physical relationship with the girl under false assurances of marriage, but later abandoned her.

The accused currently resides in his quarters in Sambalpur. Sambalpur superintendent of police Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo said: "The accused was arrested on the basis of the FIR filed by the student.”

Sanu had managed to win the trust and confidence of the girl and sexually exploited her. After the girl came to know that the professor had similar affairs with other girls earlier, she decided to take action. In her FIR, she also pointed out how the professor misused his position and managed to exploit the girls.

This comes at a time when the Opposition is already agitating over the death of the student at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore.