Balasore, Jan. 5: A woman has levelled molestation charges against municipality chairman Alok Sahu.

The woman, who is a community organiser, has named Sahu and three others — sitting councillor Chandrasekhar Patra and two former councillors Jayprakash Dash and Kaliash Sethi — in her police complaint.

Dash and Sethi were councillors earlier. At present, both their wives are councillors. Incidentally, Dash happens to be the younger brother of local MLA Jiban Pradip Dash.

Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case under section 354 (molestation), 294 (use of obscene language), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code.

Inspector in charge of Town police station Manas Deo said: “A case has been registered and investigation has started.”

The complainant has been serving as a contractual employee of the civic body for about two years.

She has also alleged that the chairman and the others had harassed her ever since Sahu was elected. She claimed that yesterday, they behaved with her very roughly.

“Sethi, Dash and Patra were present inside the chairman’s office chamber when he called me to bring files. They spoke rudely to me and then assaulted me when I refused to agree to help them do illegal things under various schemes,” she said.

“I have also informed the matter to the additional district magistrate and the municipal executive officer,” she said.

“They have threatened to remove me from the contractual job if I don’t obey them,” she said.

Additional district magistrate Akshay Mohanty said: “I have asked her to submit a written complaint.”

The municipality does not have a sexual harassment cell for women.

The municipality’s executive officer, Purnachandra Mishra, said: “I am yet to receive the compliant from the victim. However, she has conveyed the matter to me verbally.”

“The case would be forwarded to the district anti-harassment cell for women,” he said.

Balasore Municipality chairman Alok Sahu denied the allegations.

“The allegations made by her are false and fabricated. I reviewed her work and progress yesterday. She manufactured these stories to malign me because I took strong steps in the case of relief material misappropriation.”