Bhubaneswar, July 7: Police have registered a case of sexual harassment against a professor of National Institute of Technology (NIT)-Rourkela, three days after receiving a complaint from an M.Tech student of the institute.

“NIT authorities had asked for three days to conduct an internal inquiry and give us a report. However, since we did not receive any communication from them, we have booked the professor under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code which deals with assault or criminal force with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty,” said inspector in-charge of Sector III police station J. Acharya.

The 23-year-old M.Tech student of civil engineering department has alleged that Ramakant Jha, who is her project guide, made sexual advances during an interaction in the professor’s room on July 1.

“He had asked me to go to his chamber at 6pm for a discussion on my project. Since students kept pouring in to clear some doubts, he locked the door. Thereafter, he grabbed my hand and hugged me forcefully. I was taken aback and rushed out of the room. The following day, I apprised the institute director about the incident,” said the girl.

The institute referred the issue to its five-member sexual harassment committee with authorities promising appropriate action on the completion of the inquiry.

The purported victim, along with her friends and women activists, staged protests outside the institute on Friday and Saturday demanding action against Jha.

NIT-Rourkela director Sunil Sarangi said the internal inquiry was still on and a report was expected on Monday.

“The girl had given us a short handwritten complaint on Wednesday and we had asked her to file a detailed one again, which she submitted on Friday evening. We will take action once the committee report comes,” he said.

“He has been teaching here for five to six years and is very popular among students. Some girl students have told us that they find the allegations against him hard to believe,” he added.