Cuttack, Feb. 10: A lady police inspector today alleged that two lawyers have molested her inside a lift on the premises of Orissa High Court.
A complaint against the lawyers, both of whom are members of the Orissa High Court Bar Association, has already been lodged at Lalbag police station.
According to the complaint, the incident took place inside an elevator (lift No. 5) of the court building aro-und 11.40am on February 7 when the lady police inspector was on her way to one of the floors of the seven-storey high court building.
"The lady inspector has alleged that the two lawyers had sexually harassed her by touching her inappropriately and making other unwelcome advances inside the elevator. She also alleged that the lawyers passed lewd comments at her when she tried to resist them from molesting her," said a source in the police.
"A case has been registered under Indian Penal Code's section 354 (outraging of modesty of a woman) and 354 (A) sexual harassment of a woman. Investigation is on," deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Cuttack, Sanjeev Arora told The Telegraph. He, however, refused to divulge the names of the two accused lawyers.
Both the sections under which the lawyers have been charged are bailable. On conviction, the lawyers can be imprisoned for a maximum of three years.
However, the Orissa High Court Bar Association today released a statement dismissing the allegations as "false and unfounded".
When contacted by The Telegraph, association secretary Umesh Chandra Behura said they had taken up the issue and also checked the CCTV footage of the lift.
The CCTV footage of the lift did not corroborate with the allegations made by the inspector, Behura said.
"We, therefore, urge the police to examine the CCTV footage and make it known to the public that no such incident had occurred," he said.
Inspector Rina Das is probing the case. Official sources said the investigating officer had recorded the statement of the victim yesterday. The victim's statement was recorded before the first-class judicial magistrate, Cuttack, today.
"We are yet to receive the CCTV footage for examination," the DCP said.
