Surendra Prasad Mohapatra

Bhubaneswar, July 26: A senior Indian forest service officer from Odisha, who is in the US on a training course, has been arrested by the police in Pennsylvania following a woman staff’s complaint of “sexual assault” at a hotel where he was staying.

Surendra Prasad Mohapatra, 52, a 1986-batch officer, was taking part in a mid-career training programme at Syracuse University along with 29 others. The police took him into custody yesterday following the female attendant’s complaint.

However, it was not clear on what basis the complaint of sexual assault was levelled.

Mohapatra is the regional chief conservator of forests in Sambalpur.

An official here said the state government was in touch with the external affairs ministry, which had alerted the Indian Embassy in the US. They said the situation was being closely monitored.

Principal chief conservator of forests P.N. Padhi said: “Mohapatra had gone to the US on an official assignment. I am not exactly aware of the allegations that have been brought against him.”

Padhi said that according to information available with him, Mohapatra had called the hotel reception to send someone to fix the Internet connection in his room. Later, a female attendant was sent to his room.

“I was informed that the employee had failed to fix the Internet, which irritated Mohapatra and he shouted at her. Two hours later, the police came and picked him up. The truth will come out once the investigation is over.”

Padhi said the Union ministry of environment and forests had selected two officers from Odisha for foreign training from July 9 to August 4. While Mohapatra, posted as the regional chief conservator of forests in Sambalpur, was sent to the US, the other officer, Sisir Kumar Acharya, is currently undergoing training in Canada. Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehra Dun, has organised the trip.

Mohapatra’s wife Seema, told The Telegraph that the hotel employee had framed Mohapatra.

“These are false charges. He called me yesterday around noon and said he was fine but upset with the hotel staff members for not helping him with the Internet,” she said.

Seema said the news has left her teenage sons shaken. While the elder son is studying engineering, the younger one is in Class X.

“They have been getting calls from their friends asking for details of the incident. This has pained them a lot. I did not even enter the kitchen today and was unable to do the household chores. My well wishers are in touch with officials of the state government as well as the Centre to secure the release of my husband,” she said.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, state forest and environment minister Debi Prasad Mishra said the government was in touch with the ministry of environment and forests and Indian Embassy.