Bhubaneswar, May 3: Four students of College of Basic Science and Humanities under the Odisha University of Agricultural Technology (OUAT) lodged separate cases of sexual harassment against Pradeep Jena, an assistant professor of chemistry in the institute.

Deputy commissioner of police Satyabratya Bhoi said four cases were registered against the professor.

"We have received complaints from four students and a case was registered under several sections, including Section 377 (unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code. We are probing the allegation," said Bhoi.

Earlier, the university authorities had suspended the faculty on May 1 after a three-member team probing the allegation had submitted its report on April 30.

In the second week of April, a group of male students had accused Jena of sexually harassing them.

The students had alleged that Jena was physically assaulting them and was threatening them to fail in the examination if they did not have sex with him.

Sources said though the fact-finding team took nearly three weeks to submit its report, it failed to draw any conclusion regarding the allegation made by the students.

The faculty has been serving the institute for the past 13 years. However, Jena is yet to make any comment regarding the matter.

The students had also alleged that the faculty had taken them to hotels.

"If the police manage to recover the CCTV footage from the hotels, it will be extremely beneficial to substantiate our allegation," said a student.

On the other hand, few students also alleged that the university authorities deliberately took time to take the matter to the police.

"The students had brought the allegation on April 8, but if the fact-finding committee did not find any result so the university authorities could have approached the police much earlier," said a student.